‘The Fate of the Furious’ becomes highest grossing film ever in China

Reporting from Beijing —  “The Fate of the Furious” has become Hollywood’s highest-grossing film in China.

Universal Pictures’ action film, the eighth installment in its “Fast and the Furious” franchise, earned an additional $43.7 million last week, bringing its total gross to $360.4 million, according to film industry consulting firm Artisan Gateway.

The film surpassed its predecessor, “Furious 7” — which became Hollywood’s highest grossing film in China in 2015 — after two hugely successful weeks in China’s box office.

“The Fate of the Furious,” directed by F. Gary Gray and starring Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson, opened April 14.

The movie has been a global hit, underscoring the enduring appeal of the franchise in China and other countries. Universal already is planning two more movies, scheduled for release in 2019 and 2021.

The series has benefited from 16 years of fan loyalty for its characters and stars including Diesel, Johnson, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson and Michelle Rodriguez, plus Charlize Theron as a new antagonist. The diverse cast, themes of brotherly love and James Bond-style stunts are credited with drawing a healthy mix of moviegoers.

The next four spots on last week’s top-five list are dominated by Chinese-language movies.

Bona Film Group’s action and crime thriller “Shock Wave,” directed by Hong Kong’s Herman Yau and starring Andy Lau, came in a distance second, pulling in an estimated $26.1 million in its debut weekend.

Wanda Pictures’ crime and suspense film “Battle of Memories,” starring Huang Bo and Xu Jinglei, rounded out the top three. Although it opened strong on its first day, the film’s popularity declined over the weekend, finishing with $22.7 million in ticket sales.

Phoenix Entertainment’s “This is Not What I Expected,” a comedy-romance film starring Takeshi Kaneshiro and Zhou Dongyu, ranked fourth, grossing $17.6 million.

Media Asia Group’s “Love Off the Cuff” — the latest installment in Hong Kong director Pang Ho-cheung’s sly comedy romance series — placed fifth, earning $12.9 million.