China Box Office: ‘Resident Evil’ Retains Top Spot Over Quiet Post-Holiday Frame as Local Titles Wind Down

Constantin Film and Sony Pictures’ horror reboot “Resident Evil” held onto first place at the mainland China box office during the Oct. 16–18 frame, pulling in RMB62.5 million ($9.3 million) in its second full weekend, according to data from Artisan Gateway. Since rolling out in the late stretch of the Golden Week corridor on Oct. 5, the film has amassed a cumulative gross of $55.8 million. New Classics Pictures’ crime procedural drama “Traces of Justice” maintained second position, grossing $6.8 million in its third weekend. Directed by Chen Sicheng (“Detective Chinatown”) and co-written with Zhang Ji and Yan Zijie, the period investigation epic has generated $84.6 million since its Oct. 1 release. Starring Zhang Yi, Ma Li, and Chen Minghao alongside guest appearances by Karry Wang, Fan Chengcheng, and Chen Feiyu, the multi-decade drama chronicles an elite public security detective unravelling major criminal mysteries based on real cases. Beijing Joy Fun Pictures’ local body-swap comedy “Mr. & Mrs. Pardon” held third place, generating $4.1 million over the three-day weekend. Directed by Shen Chunyang and written by Ma Duo, the satirical feature starring real-life comedic duo Shen Chunyang and Xiao Shenyang alongside Jia Bing and Yu Yang has lifted its cume to $50.9 million since premiering on Oct. 1. Popular on Variety Dirty Monkeys’ war comedy-drama “Once Upon a Time in the Middle East” took fourth place in its tenth weekend, adding $900,000. Directed by Wen Muye and starring Shen Teng, Jiang Qiming, Aarif Rahman, and Omar Sherif, the enduring summer blockbuster has pushed its cumulative haul to $354.3 million since opening on Aug. 11, solidifying its place among the biggest commercial hits in the country this year. Light Chaser Animation’s historical animated epic “Three Kingdoms: The Beginning” was in fifth spot, collecting $800,000 over the two-day weekend frame for a cumulative total of $14.7 million. Directed by Xie Junwei (“Chang’an”) and written by Wang Wei, the first installment in Light Chaser’s planned trilogy chronicles the political turmoil of the late Eastern Han dynasty and the battle for Luoyang, focusing on the intertwined ambitions of young warlords Cao Cao and Yuan Shao. Mainland China’s overall weekend box office gross was $26.7 million amid an extended post-holiday slowdown. The 2026 year-to-date total stands at $4.67 billion, trailing the same period in 2025 by 29.2%.