China Box Office: 'Resident Evil' Astonishes With Huge $94M Weekend

The Screen Gems/Constantin title debuted to $30.4 million on Friday, getting 110,000 showings across the Middle Kingdom. 

The huge screen share was boosted by Sony's strategic marketing partner Dalian Wanda Group, China's largest cinema operator. Local marketing specialist Leomus Pictures handled an innovative ad campaign that involved tapping local social media influencers to createResident Evil fan art campaigns and working with domestic branding partners.

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Thanks to the big China numbers, The Final Chapter — the sixth and concluding Resident Evil film — is now on track to become the most successful installment in the video-game adaptation franchise. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, the pic again stars Milla Jovovich as the heroine making a last stand for humanity against hordes of ravaging zombies.

Fellow video game adaptation Assassin's Creed, starring Michael Fassbender, opened opposite The Final Chapter but came in far behind, taking in $17 million from Friday to Sunday.

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Other Hollywood holdovers added modestly to their China totals. Universal's Sing earned $7.2 million on the weekend, bringing its China cume to $23.8 million after 24 days. Vin Diesel's xXx: The Return of Xander Cage decelerated to $6.6 million for the weekend, while crossing the $150 million mark to hit $153 million after three frames. And Oscar favorite La La Land took in $2.4 million, lifting its 13-day total to $30.5 million, the highest gross ever for a live-action musical in China.