China Box Office: 'Detective Chinatown' Wins Weekend, 'Mr. Six' Shows Staying Power

Chen Sicheng's comedy-mystery Detective Chinatown won the busy first weekend of 2016 at the Chinese box office. The film, set in Thailand and produced by Wanda and Tencent's Heyi Pictures, grossed $43.6 million from Friday to Sunday.




Local films are making hay before Star Wars: The Force Awakens makes its belated bow in China on Jan. 9.
Bolstered by strong word of mouth, Mr. Six, starring veteran Chinese director Feng Xiaogang as a crime lord gone to seed, managed an impressive hold in its second weekend in Chinese cinemas, grossing $34.49 million. The film's evocative theme about China's recent rapid social changes — reflected through the Beijing underworld — has struck a nostalgic chord in China's capital city.
For the full-week running Monday to Sunday (Jan. 3), Mr. Six topped the charts, earning $68.5 million for an 11-day cume of $108.45 as of Sunday (Detective Chinatown, which premiered Wednesday, Dec. 30, came in second for the full week with $66.51 million, including preview screenings). Mr. Six was produced by Huayi Brothers and was well received by critics at the Toronto and Venice film festivals.