China Box Office: ‘Men in Black: International’ Has $26 Million Debut; ‘Phoenix’ Dive

“Men in Black: International” has made a lukewarm start in Chinese theaters. It scored $25.8 million over the weekend to claim the top spot ahead of Chinese-made “My Best Summer,” according to data from Artisan Gateway.


The Chinese gross of the “Men in Black” spinoff was not far short of the film’s North American debut, which rang in at $28.5 million. But it was only a modest improvement on the 2012 release of “Men in Black 3,” which opened in China with $21.7 million, going on to a total gross of $77 million.


Considering the vast expansion of movie theaters in China in the past seven years, and the lack of competition from significant Chinese titles, “Men in Black: International” should have played better.


“My Best Summer” climbed the chart from third place to second, but saw its weekend gross drop 60% from $21.5 million to $8.5 million. After 10 days on release, it has amassed $45.1 million.


The Legendary Entertainment-backed “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” had a steeper fall. Its haul fell by 75% from $23.9 million in its second weekend to $5.8 million in its third. After 17 days in Chinese cinemas, “Godzilla” has a cumulative score of $124 million.


“A City Called Macau,” a Chinese drama film set in the world of brokers who provide credit to gamblers in Macau’s casino enclave, failed to hit the jackpot. Directed by Li Shaohong (“Baober in Love”) and starring the popular actress Bai Baihe, it managed only fourth place and an opening gross of $3.9 million.


“X-Men: Dark Phoenix” has plummeted to earth. Having opened in the top spot a week earlier with $32.1 million, the film saw its second weekend gross drop by 90% to $3.3 million, good for only fifth place on the chart. After 10 days, it has a $55.8 million cumulative.


In total, the weekend was worth only $61 million at the box office. The year-to-date total in China is $4.26 billion, down 2.3% compared to the same point in 2018.