‘War for the Planet of the Apes’ swings big in China with $61.3 million in ticket sales

Reporting from BEIJING —  The sci-fi franchise film “War for the Planet of the Apes” dominated China’s box office last week, grossing $61.3 million in its opening weekend, according to the film consulting company Artisan Gateway.

The haul marks 20th Century Fox’s biggest opening weekend ever in China, and a significant improvement over the film’s predecessor, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” which, in 2014, grossed a total of $107 million for its entire run in China.

The Chernin Entertainment-produced film, which cost $152 million to make, did even better in China than in its North American debut. The movie generated an estimated $57 million in ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada when it opened in July.

The film’s success pushed Sony Pictures’ superhero movie “Spider-Man: Homecoming” to second place. “Spider-Man: Homecoming” took in $35 million in its second week, a 51% drop from the week prior.

The film has grossed $106 million since its Sept. 8 release, making it the 10th Hollywood film this year to break the $100-million threshold in China.

The Japanese animation movie “Gekijo-Ban Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale” debuted at third, with $6.2 million. In fourth, grossing $5 million, was the Spanish suspense film “Contratiempo.”

Director Christopher Nolan’s World War II epic “Dunkirk” was next. The film has found success in China, pulling in more than $50 million in total sales since its Sept. 1 release.

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