Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” debuted at No. 1 at the box office in mainland China, ending “Her Story’s” four-week reign at the top.
Data from consulting firm Artisan Gateway showed that Mufasa: The Lion King fell by 56.1 million Chinese yuan ($8 million).
In second place, Donnie Yen’s Hong Kong action drama “The Prosecutor” from Maoyan Pictures earned $7.1 million for a cumulative total of $18 million in the Middle Kingdom. In “The Prosecutor,” action icon Yen plays Fook Chi Ho, a former elite police special forces officer who trades his badge for the courtroom. Yen’s Fok becomes a prosecutor tasked with handling the case of Ma Ka Kit (rising star Mason Fung), a struggling young man implicated in a drug smuggling charge. Despite the questionable circumstances, Ma is pressured to reach a plea deal that results in a harsh sentence. Driven by his instincts, Fook begins to delve deeper into the case, uncovering a labyrinthine conspiracy that snakes through Hong Kong’s criminal underworld and the upper echelons of power.
In third place was the concert film “Jason Zhang Brilliance Tour” produced by Shanghai Jiwu Culture, with $5.7 million.
Emperor Motion Pictures’ “The Last Dance” earned $5.1 million in fourth place for a cumulative total of $18.5 million. Directed by rising Hong Kong director Anselm Chan, the film follows a cash-strapped former wedding planner and a stern old Taoist priest who become unlikely partners in the funeral business. It features an all-star cast headed by Cantonese comedy icons Dayo Wong (“Table for Six”) and Michael Hui (“Security Unlimited,” “Where the Wind Blows”).
Maxtimes Pictures’ “Her Story” dropped to fifth place with revenues of $4 million, bringing the cumulative total to $96.6 million. The film is directed by Shao Yihui (2021 “B For Busy”). Its fast-paced story focuses on two women—one a recently unemployed single mother, the other a new neighbor with more problems than she seems—who become friends. Together they face various relationship challenges, including an abusive ex-husband and new romantic possibilities.
The nationwide weekend box office was $36.9 million, and the total year-to-date gross is $5.8 billion. This is still 21.5% lower than the same point in 2023.