Jackie Chan's action comedy “Skiptrace” grossed $60 million in its first four days in China, leaving other premiere films and long-running hits far behind.
The film opened in theaters on Thursday (July 21) and grossed $14.7 million on its first day. It took in another $44.0 million Friday through Sunday, according to data from Ent Group. That three-day total is just $1 million shy of the $44.7 million worldwide total for “The Legend of Tarzan,” which took the crown worldwide over the weekend, according to U.S. tracking service ComScore.
The success of Skiptrace not only confirms Chan's continued star status, but also justifies his role as a driving force behind the scenes as a producer. Chan has personally nurtured this buddy comedy and China travelogue project for many years, weathering a changing set of financiers, co-stars and directors along the way.
Ultimately, “Skiptrace” was directed by Renny Harlin, who now lives in Beijing. Harlin is from Finland and has signed a forward deal with a Chinese financier through Hollywood and is planning his next film with the Alibaba Pictures Group.
In China, “Tarzan” opened on Tuesday (July 19) and topped the charts for two days. From Friday to Sunday, “Tarzan” grossed $12.0 million. For the six-day total, it grossed $22.5 million. On the days when the two top performers competed against each other, “Skiptrace” had a market share of over 56%, while “Tarzan” only got 16%, according to CBO data.
Third place went to the Japanese animated film “Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan,” which premiered on Friday. It grossed a whopping $8.14 million in its first three days.
Fourth place went to “One Night Only,” a crime comedy starring Aaron Kwok, who also topped the previous chart-topper “Cold War.” “One Night” grossed $3.89 million in three days.
Ranked fifth was Big Fish and Begonia, a Chinese animated film in its third week, earning $3.40 million and bringing its total gross to $79.7 million in its first 17 days.
“Cold War,” the Hong Kong crime action film, had to vacate most of its theaters to make way for “Skiptrace.” As a result, it plummeted from first to sixth place, with its weekend total dropping from $15.8 million to $3.02 million. After 17 days, it stands at $96.8 million.
“Larry and Mary” was another steep faller. It reached seventh place with $1.92 million. After 10 days, it has cumulatively grossed $25.7 million. The Chinese animation film “Bobby the Hedgehog” managed $1 million in the first three days.
“Baahubali,” the 2015 South Indian fantasy action film, hit theaters on Saturday (July 23) and grossed $540,000 in two days, enough for ninth place.
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