China Box Office: ‘Resident Evil’ Dethrones ‘Traces of Justice’ to Claim Top Spot as Post-Holiday Market Cools
“Resident Evil” took the top spot at mainland China’s box office over the 9–11 October weekend, earning RMB81.2 million ($12.1 million). Its performance came as cinema-going slowed after the National Day holiday rush, while the year-to-date market remained well behind 2025.
“Traces of Justice” placed second with $8.3 million in its second weekend, bringing its total to $73.4 million. “Mr. & Mrs. Pardon” was third with $5.7 million, and “Go for Broke 2” and “Once Upon a Time in the Middle East” rounded out the top five. Overall weekend takings were $30.8 million; year-to-date revenue was $4.63 billion, down 29.4% on the same period in 2025.
- “Resident Evil” led China’s weekend box office with $12.1 million.
- Total weekend takings fell to $30.8 million after the holiday rush.
- Year-to-date revenue was 29.4% below the same point in 2025.
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China's cinema market is the world's second-largest, after the United States. It has become increasingly important to Hollywood studios and international film companies, as performance there can determine a film's profitability and influence future production decisions.
The first half of October features China's National Day holiday period, which traditionally boosts cinema attendance as people have time away from work. This year, however, the market cooled notably after the holiday rush, with weekend box office figures dipping to levels well below those recorded in the same period of 2025.
The year-to-date figures show an even more significant shortfall, with China's total box office revenue down nearly 30 percent compared to 2025. Given that China is the world's second-largest cinema market and vital to the commercial success of many international films, this decline has wider implications for the global entertainment industry.
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