Constantin Film and Sony Pictures’ horror reboot “Resident Evil” claimed the top position at the mainland China box office for the weekend of October 9–11. According to data from Artisan Gateway, the film grossed RMB81.2 million ($12.1 million) during the three-day period.
The video game adaptation, which premiered on Monday, October 5 during the tail end of the Golden Week holiday, has now generated a cumulative total of $40.7 million in the region.
New Classics Pictures’ crime procedural drama “Traces of Justice” dropped to second place in its second week of release, earning $8.3 million. Directed by Chen Sicheng and co-written with Zhang Ji and Yan Zijie, the period investigation film has amassed $73.4 million since its October 1 opening. The cast features Zhang Yi, Ma Li, Chen Minghao, Karry Wang, Fan Chengcheng, and Chen Feiyu.
“Mr. & Mrs. Pardon,” a family body-swap comedy from Beijing Joy Fun Pictures, held the third spot with $5.7 million over the weekend, bringing its total cume to $43.6 million. Written by Ma Duo and directed by Shen Chunyang, the satirical movie stars real-life comedic duo Shen Chunyang and Xiao Shenyang, along with Jia Bing and Yu Yang.
In fourth place, CMC Pictures’ action thriller sequel “Go for Broke 2” added $1 million in its second weekend. Written and directed by Marc Ma, the film starring Isabella Leong, Wen Junhui, and Sammo Hung has accumulated $7.9 million since its October 3 launch.
Dirty Monkeys’ war comedy-drama “Once Upon a Time in the Middle East” rounded out the top five, taking in $800,000 in its ninth weekend. China’s official submission for the Oscars’ international feature category, the film directed by Wen Muye has earned $353 million since opening on August 11.
Overall, mainland China’s weekend box office fell to $30.8 million as theatrical traffic normalized following the National Day holiday surge. Year-to-date revenue stands at $4.63 billion, representing a 29.4% decline compared to the same period in 2025.
Mr. & Mrs. Pardon at number three is a pleasant surprise. Family comedies are underrated in that market.
Traces of Justice seems like it had momentum, but $8.3 million in week two feels a bit soft.
Finally, a horror franchise that travels well internationally. The $40 million total is impressive for a reboot.
The 29.4% drop year-over-year is alarming. Is theatrical traffic really recovering, or just normalizing?
Resident Evil beating a domestic hit in China is wild. I did not see that coming at all.