According to Artisan Gateway, the Chinese box office was driven by Davis Film’s new horror film “Return to Silent Hill,” which debuted at No. 1 with RMB66.1 million ($9.3 million) over the weekend of January 23-25.
According to Comscore, Return to Silent Hill has grossed $19.3 million worldwide, making it the fifth-highest grossing film worldwide.
Taopia Opio’s action comedy “Busted Water Pipes” opened with $3.9 million. Directed by Zhou Defei, the film follows veteran police officer Yu Dahai (Eddie Peng) and his squad, whose impeccable criminal past is so underutilized that they start fabricating cases to look busy. However, when the police station’s main water pipe bursts, the team encounters an actual operation by Tomb Raider’s crew disguised as plumbers.
Disney’s “Zootopia 2” rose to third place with $3.7 million in its ninth week of release. The animated sequel has now grossed $621 million in China, remaining one of the top-grossing imported films on the market this season.
Maoyan Movie’s crime thriller “The Fire Raven” came in fourth place, adding $2.9 million for a cumulative total of $57.2 million. Directed and written by Sam Quah, the film stars Peng Yu-chan, Alan Aruna and Zhang Ning, and follows the reopening of a long-dormant murder case, exposing a broader network of corruption and revenge.
Disney and 20th Century Studios’ Avatar: Fire and Ashes rounded out the top five with $2.6 million, pushing its total in China to $157.9 million.
Total box office receipts for the weekend reached $29.5 million. China’s total from the beginning of 2026 to date is $244.8 million, a difference of 1% compared to the same period in 2025. Next week, Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 masterpiece “The Shining” will be released for the first time on more than 750 Imax screens in China, although box office sales remain weak ahead of its Lunar New Year holiday release scheduled for next month.
