China Box Office Update: 'The Invisible Guest' Takes the Lead, 'Wonka' Struggles 

Over the recent weekend, two Hollywood films, ‘Wonka’ and ‘Migration,’ made their debut in Chinese cinemas. However, neither film managed to secure a spot in the top five at the box office.

Taking the weekend crown was the Chinese remake of the 2016 Spanish mystery thriller, ‘The Invisible Guest,’ earning a modest $12.6 million (RMB89.6 million). The remake, backed by iQiyi and directed by Chen Zhuo, reimagines the original story, incorporating new elements such as a corrupt cop, a brave mother, and the son of a prominent politician. It stars Greg Hsu, Janine Chang, Kara Wai, and Zheng Yin.

Securing the second position was another Chinese release, ‘Love Life Light,’ by Enlight Pictures, which earned $10.1 million (RMB71.9 million), with a cumulative score of $14.5 million, including previews.

Wanda Pictures' ‘Endless Journey’ took third place, accumulating $8.4 million (RMB59.7 million) in previews ahead of its official release on December 15, with a total of $9.2 million.

Falling to the fourth spot, ‘So Long for Love’ earned $7.2 million (RMB51 million), with a cumulative total of $27.2 million since its opening on December 1. Bona Film's "Bursting Point" secured the fifth position, earning $7.12 million (RMB50.9 million), with a total including previews of $8.1 million.

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Notably, ‘Wonka’ reportedly ranked seventh on its debut weekend, with varied estimates from different sources. Warner's early estimates suggested a gross of $3.2 million, while Ent Group reported a provisional $3.45 million. Ticketing agency Maoyan initially reported RMB23.3 million and later revised its forecast to RMB38.5 million or $5.45 million.

Warner attributed potential flu outbreaks and cold weather to the subdued performance of ‘Wonka,’ but this did not seem to impact other titles. The overall box office in China for the weekend reached $60.3 million, compared to $55 million the previous week.

In a separate release, Universal's animation ‘Migration’ earned $1.07 million on its opening weekend, according to Ent Group, while Maoyan reported RMB7.2 million, with a projected finish of RMB9.6 million or $1.35 million.

–Farheen Ali