'Resident Evil' Tops China Box Office With $12.1 Million Weekend

Horror reboot "Resident Evil" claimed the top spot at the mainland China box office over the Oct. 9–11 weekend, earning RMB81.2 million ($12.1 million) across three days, according to data from Artisan Gateway. Constantin Film and Sony Pictures released the video game adaptation on Monday, Oct. 5, in the closing stretch of the Golden Week holiday, and it has now grossed a cumulative $40.7 million.

The overall market cooled sharply after the National Day holiday rush. Total weekend box office fell to $30.8 million as theatrical traffic normalized. Year-to-date revenue stands at $4.63 billion, trailing the same period in 2025 by 29.4%, Artisan Gateway reported.

Who else charted this weekend?

• "Traces of Justice" — $8.3 million, second place in its sophomore session
• "Mr. & Mrs. Pardon" — $5.7 million, third place
• "Go for Broke 2" — $1 million, fourth place
• "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East" — $800,000, fifth place in its ninth weekend

How far has 'Traces of Justice' fallen?

New Classics Pictures' crime procedural dropped from first to second but continues to build a substantial total. The drama has amassed $73.4 million since opening on Oct. 1. Chen Sicheng, the director behind the "Detective Chinatown" franchise, helmed the film and co-wrote it with Zhang Ji and Yan Zijie.

The multi-decade narrative follows a veteran public security officer unraveling major historical cases based on real events. The cast pairs Zhang Yi, Ma Li and Chen Minghao with Karry Wang, Fan Chengcheng and Chen Feiyu.

Can the family comedies keep running?

Beijing Joy Fun Pictures' body-swap comedy "Mr. & Mrs. Pardon" took third with $5.7 million, lifting its cumulative gross to $43.6 million. Shen Chunyang directed from Ma Duo's screenplay. The satirical feature stars real-life comedic pair Shen Chunyang and Xiao Shenyang, alongside Jia Bing and Yu Yang, as an uninspired middle-aged couple forced to confront marital stagnation after trading bodies.

CMC Pictures' revenge thriller sequel "Go for Broke 2" placed fourth, adding $1 million in its second weekend for a $7.9 million total since its Oct. 3 launch. Marc Ma wrote and directed the action film, which stars Isabella Leong, Wen Junhui and Sammo Hung.

What about China's Oscar entry?

Dirty Monkeys' war comedy-drama "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East," China's submission to the Oscars' international feature category, rounded out the top five with $800,000 in its ninth weekend. Wen Muye directed; Shen Teng, Jiang Qiming, Aarif Rahman and Omar Sherif star. The enduring summer blockbuster has grossed $353 million since opening on Aug. 11.

With "Resident Evil" now the third consecutive weekend leader in under two weeks and the year-to-date deficit standing at 29.4%, distributors will be watching whether upcoming releases can rebuild momentum outside the holiday corridor.