‘The Mummy’ edges out ‘Alien’ to stay on top

BEIJING — Action-adventure film “The Mummy” topped China’s box office for the second week in a row, although it nearly lost out to more futuristic creatures.

The Universal Pictures reboot, staring Chinese favorite Tom Cruise, narrowly beat 20th Century Fox’s “Alien: Covenant,” with $29.2 million in ticket sales, according to film consulting firm Artisan Gateway. The science fiction movie made $28.5 million in the world’s second-largest film market.

“The Mummy” has grossed $82 million in the last 10 days, far better than in North America, where the movie landed with a thud. Chinese moviegoers have an insatiable appetite for tomb-raiding themes and 3-D Imax screens. The film has taken in about $295.6 million worldwide.

The Mummy franchise has a history of success in the Middle Kingdom. “The Mummy Returns” ranked as the fourth-highest grossing film in China in 2001.

The latest installment of the long-standing space horror franchise “Alien: Covenant” did well despite its treatment from Chinese censors. They scrapped six minutes, including Michael Fassbender’s kiss with another man. Some moviegoers moaned on social media about the cut and said Chinese authorities should respect the original version.

Warner Bros’ “Wonder Woman” followed in third place, adding $13.5 million, lifting its total ticket sales to $83.9 million.

“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” pulled in an additional $7.9 million, ranking fourth. It has accumulated $170.4 million over 24 days.

Meanwhile, India’s “Dangal” continued its strong run in China. It has earned a total of $185.9 million there.