'Rogue One' Has Lackluster Opening Weekend Box Office in China

Will Lerner
·Producer, Yahoo Entertainment

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was a box-office success in 2016. The Washington Post says Rogue One earned $477.3 million, so it’s not a stretch to imagine it will soon overtake Finding Dory’s $486.3 million haul. Yet, while Rogue One was a hit in the U.S., it might not be in China.

Still from
Rogue One didn’t perform up to expectations in China. (Photo: Lucasfilm/Disney)

While it opened at No. 1, it earned only $31 million in its opening weekend. To compare, The Force Awakens earned $53 million during the same timeframe. Some are surprised, given that two well-received characters are played by Chinese actors, Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen) and Chirrut Îmwe (Donnie Yen). That being said, Hong Kong-based Lamplight Analytics suggested some in China felt their inclusion was pandering.

Donnie Yen and Jiang Wen in
Jiang Wen and Donnie Yen in Rogue One. (Credit: Lucasfilm)

The Hollywood Reporter suggests terrible air pollution in Northern China hampered ticket sales. Rogue One might not get a second chance to win the box office. Passengers opens Friday, and Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt are popular stars in China. Passengers also has backing from Dalian Wanda Group, a powerful conglomerate there.

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