China Box Office: ‘To Gather Around’ Dethrones ‘Venom: The Last Dance’

variety.com:

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Drama film “To Gather Around” topped the mainland China box office over the weekend and deposed “Venom: The Last Dance.” The film, which also goes by the title “Brave New World,” is directed by Liu Xunximo and stars Deng Chao and Deng Jiajia in a tale of an internet company employee who is caught up in workplace dispute.

He joins forces with others in order to defend his rights, but ends up in a bigger spiral of trouble. According to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway, “To Gather Around” earned RMB63.8 million ($9.0 million) over the weekend from Friday to Sunday. “Venom: The Last Dance,” in its fifth weekend of release in China, earned $4.9 million.

That lifted its total to $90.7 million since releasing in China on Oct. 23. The film was the top title in China in its first, second and fourth weekends and is now the third best performing Hollywood picture of the year in China.

Only “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” and “Alien Romulus” have done better. Columbia Pictures reported this weekend that the film has reached $309 million outside North America, overtaking predecessor “Venom: Let There Be Carnage.” The China contribution is 29% of the international figure and 21% of its $436 million global total.