‘Tenet’ makes solid start in China
“Tenet” has already eased aside local champion “The Eight Hundred” as it earned $8.61 million
"Tenet", Christopher Nolan's time-travel spy thriller's debut in US movie theaters will be closely watched as a barometer of the industry's health. But it may have a better chance of drawing a crowd in Chinese movie market as the movie got off to a solid start on its debut in Chinese theaters on Friday.
"Tenet" has already eased aside local champion "The Eight Hundred" as it earned $8.61 million, according to the China Box Office service of Ent Group. Including earlier previews, its total stood at $9.11 million. Maoyan, one of China's two largest cinema ticketing firms, showed almost identical figures.
For the film's lifetime theatrical box office, Maoyan is forecasting gross revenues of $66.5 million. That could be enough to make China the film's highest grossing territory. But it will not be the biggest film of the year in China.
"The Eight Hundred" which slipped to second place Friday, after two weeks on top, has already reached $327 million and Maoyan forecasts that it will earn a $409 million lifetime total.