Jessica Alba crime thriller ranks first
On its third day of release in China, “Mechanic: Resurrection” unseated a Chinese action film for the top spot at the box office.
The crime thriller stars Jason Statham as an assassin chasing a man who kidnaps his paramour, played by Jessica Alba. To save her, he must complete a series of risky murder operations around the world.
The sequel to the 2011 “Mechanic” flopped at the North American box office but has grossed $24.9 million in China since Oct. 21, according to the film industry consulting firm Artisan Gateway.
The movie’s success comes after a month of Chinese films dominating at the box office. Its popularity in China may be due to Statham’s star power: His previous roles in “Fast & Furious” and “The Transporter” were also hits at the country’s box office.
Crime and action films took the next two spots.
“Operation Mekong,” which was No. 1 at the start of the month, dropped to second place with $19.1 million. The movie, directed by Hong Kong filmmaker Dante Lam, is a cinematic spin on the investigation of the 2011 Mekong River massacre, when 13 Chinese sailors were killed on a cargo ship.
Coming in third was the Hong Kong crime drama “Heartfall Arises,” which brought in $12 million in its first week. Nicholas Tse and Sean Lau play a cop and a criminal psychologist, respectively, on the trail of serial killers.
Steven Spielberg’s “The BFG,” based on the Roald Dahl classic, was fourth with $6.7 million. In fifth place was “I Belonged to You,” a Chinese romantic comedy that grossed $5.97 million.