‘Apes’ knocks ‘Spider-Man’ out of top spot

BEIJING — The sci-fi franchise film “War for the Planet of the Apes” dominated China’s box office last week, grossing $61.3 million in its opening weekend, according to film consulting company Artisan Gateway.

The haul marks 20th Century Fox’s biggest opening weekend ever in China, and a significant improvement over the film’s predecessor, “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” which in 2014 grossed $107 million for its entire run in China.

The Chernin Entertainment-produced film, which cost $152 million to make, did even better in China than in its North American debut. The movie generated an estimated $57 million in ticket sales in the U.S. and Canada when it opened in July.

The film’s success pushed Sony Pictures’ “SpiderMan: Homecoming ” to second place. The superhero movie took in $35 million in its second week, a 51% drop from the previous week.

“Spider-Man” has grossed $106 million since its Sept. 8 release, making it the 10th Hollywood film this year to break the $100-million threshold in China.

The Japanese animation movie “Gekijo-Ban Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale” debuted at third with $6.2 million. In fourth, grossing $5 million, was the Spanish suspense film “Contratiempo.”

Director Christopher Nolan’s World War II epic “Dunkirk” was next. The film has found success in China, pulling in more than $50 million in total sales since its Sept. 1 release.