Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefTheatrical box office in mainland China enjoyed a weekend bounce over the May Day holiday and a new market leader, despite a shortage of fresh titles and mounting cinema closures.Romantic comedy “Stay With Me” was the top-scoring new release title with $8.4 million (RMB55.4 million), according to data from Artisan Gateway, a consultancy and research firm.
The film about long distance relationships, distributed by Enlight Pictures, deposed “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore,” which had held the top spot for three previous weekends.
U.S. animation “The Bad Guys,” a major hit overseas, opened in second place in China with a three-day score of $4.5 million (RMB30.0 million).
In third place, “Fantastic Beasts” earned $3.0 million (RMB19.7 million), advancing its cumulative score to $20.6 million (RMB136 million) since first release on April 8, 2022.China’s use of lockdowns to curb the spread of new COVID cases has kept cinemas in many parts of the country closed for several weeks.
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