Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Chen Kaige’s war epic “The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death” was the dominant force at the mainland China box office over the weekend.
But the end of the National Day holiday week maintained the trend of relative weakness. “The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death” scored RMB324 million ($45.6 million according to data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway, which also said that the film 26% of screening sessions in the Friday to Sunday period.
The weekend represented the latter half of a holiday week that officially started on Tuesday (Oct. 1) in commemoration of China’s founding in 1949.
The film is directed by Chen Kaige and stars Zhu Yilong, Xin Baiqing and Zhang Zifeng. It represents the second instalment of his patriotic “The Volunteers” trilogy.
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