Chinese films continue reign over box office during Golden Week

Moviegoers in China celebrated last week’s National Day with homegrown productions, as Chinese films dominated the box office.

“Operation Mekong,” an action thriller about the 2011 Mekong River massacre, topped the chart with $77 million during the national weeklong holiday, according to the film industry consulting firm Artisan Gateway.

Produced by the Beijing-based Bona Film Group, the movie follows an investigation into how crystal methamphetamine pills ended up on the ships of murdered Chinese sailors.

A romantic comedy following the lives of two radio DJs, “I Belonged to You,” grossed $51.7 million, sliding to the No. 2 spot after a winning opening weekend. The film was produced by Beijing Enlight Pictures and based on short stories by popular Chinese writer Zhang Jiajia.

In the third spot, “L.O.R.D.: Legend of Ravaging Dynasties,” a stop-motion CGI film, garnered $24.2 million at the box office. In fourth place, the Hong Kong action comedy “Mission Milano” grossed $18 million.

“The Wild Life” (released in the U.S. as “Robinson Crusoe”) was the sole non-Chinese movie that made the top five, coming in at $6 million after its Oct. 4 release. The animated adventure-comedy produced by Belgium’s NWave Pictures loosely recounts the castaway’s tale from the perspective of animals on the island.

Wang is a special correspondent