Zootopia 2 tops China box office as Avatar: Fire and Ash ranks third

Disney’s Zootopia 2 leads China box office for second weekend; Avatar: Fire and Ash takes third place

Disney’s Zootopia 2 maintained its lead at the China box office for a second consecutive weekend during the January 9–11 frame, earning RMB49.1 million ($6.9 million) and pushing its cumulative total to RMB4.31 billion ($607.2 million), according to Artisan Gateway.

Close behind in second place was Maoyan Movie’s crime thriller The Fire Raven, which collected $6.8 million. Directed and written by Sam Quah, the film stars Peng Yuchang, Alan Aruna, and Chang Ning, following the reopening of a dormant murder case that uncovers a network of corruption and revenge. Its total reached $42.3 million in less than two weeks of release.

James Cameron’s sci-fi epic Avatar: Fire and Ash ranked third, grossing $6.5 million over the weekend and bringing its cumulative total in China to $146.6 million.

In fourth place, Huace Film & TV’s Back to the Past, an adaptation of the 2001 TVB historical sci-fi series A Step Into the Past, earned $4.9 million. Produced by Louis Koo’s One Cool Film Production, the film reunites the original cast after 24 years, including Koo, Raymond Lam, Jessica Hsuan, Sonija Kwok, Joyce Tang, and Michelle Saram, with new additions Bai Baihe, Michael Miu, and Louis Cheung. The release also marks the final appearance of the late Dick Liu Kai-chi.

Rounding out the top five was Chuanqiren Media’s family drama Unexpected Family, which collected $900,000 over the weekend and stands at $5.5 million to date. The comedy-drama, co-written and directed by Li Taiyan, stars Jackie Chan, Peng Yuchang, Zhang Jianing, and Pan Binlong.

Overall, China’s box office totaled $31.6 million for the weekend, bringing year-to-date revenue to $162.4 million, up 9.9% compared to the same period last year. Analysts note the market is entering a quieter post-festive period ahead of major Lunar New Year releases.