After far too long on its knees, the theatrical industry is finally beginning to show some sustained signs of life, with this past weekend the third consecutive frame where the domestic Top 10 has combined to earn well in excess of $100 million.
Halloween Kills set a trio of pandemic-era records, No Time to Die has officially out-grossed the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Black Widow and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, while Venom: Let There Be Carnage reached the top spot in 39 different countries after continuing its international expansion.
However, nothing can hold a candle to the continued resurgence of the Chinese market, with local blockbuster Battle at Lake Changjin once again posting phenomenal numbers. As per The Hollywood Reporter, the historical epic has now banked $768 million after another stellar performance, and that’s after just three weeks in theaters.
That takes it past the $716 million brought in by Fast & Furious 9 and into second place on the 2021 chart, with Battle at Lake Changjin now closing in on current record-holder Hi, Mom, which is sitting on $821 million. 100% of that mammoth total has come from local cinemas, so you can understand why No Time to Die and Dune would have been thrilled to be approved by the country’s censorship board.
