UPDATED, Saturday, 10:20 AM: Resident Evil: The Final Chapter will likely be anything but as the Screen Gems/Constantin Film production has now racked up a phenomenal $70M in just two days in China. This comes after a first day gross of $33M which ended up as the third-highest of all time for a Hollywood film. To get some perspective, xXx: Return of Xander Cage took in $61.3M — in three days. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story‘s had a $31M opening weekend. It didn’t hurt that the distributor had the film’s star Milla Jovivich at cine Asia where she met members Chinese exhibition community and received the franchise achievement award with her director/husband Paul Anderson. More to come tomorrow as this monster box office hit in China just keeps rolling. Stay tuned.



EXCLUSIVE, Previous Friday, 10:28 AM: Resident Evil: The Final Chapter Sony’s sixth film in the franchise, directed by Paul Anderson, grossed a whopping $33M (including previews) in China on its first day in theaters, according to box office reports in the country. Some reports have it at $32M and others at $33.5M. It’s marks third-highest opening day in China for a Hollywood film, behind only Universal’s Furious 7 (which had an opening day of $68M) and Universal’s Warcraft ($46M).

The opening is an excellent bow for not only the genre but for a film on the first day in the Middle Kingdom. For instance, xXx: Return of Xander Cage opened to $20.3M on its first day, a Friday this year while Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation grossed $18M in its first day last year. Return of Xander Cage chalked up the biggest day ever for February for a Hollywood Film — Resident Evil: The Final Chapter surpassed that record by almost $13M.

That compares to Assassin’s Creed, which bowed on the same day as Resident Evil and took in only $6M to $7M.

With such a big opening day, you gotta wonder how the Chinese even let a zombie movie onto its screens. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter’s path into China was, undoubtedly, helped by DMG, which in 2010 opened the doors for the franchise in the country. Because of its relationships there, it was able to soothe the censors and get the zombie-themed Resident Evil 3D starring Milla Jovovich into theaters there. Sony had initially gone to them after having trouble getting the the first three film in the franchise into China.

Thanks to this opening day in China, Resident Evil: The Final Chapter has grossed about $175M so far worldwide.The release in China was handled by Constantin Film partner Leomus Pictures.

The film was produced by Screen Gems in association with Constantin Film.