China Box Office Hits $16.4 Million as 'Traces of Justice' Reclaims Top Spot

Mainland China's box office collected $16.4 million over the weekend from November 6 to 8, marking a contraction during the fall lull. The market remains soft, with the 2026 year-to-date total reaching $4.75 billion. This figure trails the same period in 2025 by 29%.

New Classics Pictures' crime procedural 'Traces of Justice' returned to the number one position. The film earned RMB 21.5 million, or $3.2 million, during the three-day period, according to Artisan Gateway data. This weekend's haul pushed its cumulative total to $103.7 million since its October 1 release. Chen Sicheng directed the multi-decade investigation epic, which follows an elite public security detective solving complex historical cases.

Sony Pictures and Constantin Film's horror reboot 'Resident Evil' slipped to second place after spending a month at the top. The video game adaptation took in $3 million in its fifth weekend. Its total gross now stands at $76 million, having launched during the Golden Week corridor on October 5.

Tencent Penguin Pictures' road drama 'Embers' opened in third place with $2.1 million over its two-day debut frame following a November 7 release. Sun Aoqian wrote and directed the film, which stars Song Jia as a crematorium worker who mixes up two sets of funeral ashes. She teams up with the deceased's daughter, played by Vicky Chen, on a cross-country journey to return the remains.

Shanghai Captain's rural black comedy-thriller 'The Coffin Swap' arrived in fourth position with $1.7 million in its two-day opening. He Nian directed the film, which re-adapts Xin Yukun's 2014 mystery classic 'Deep in the Heart' through the lens of his acclaimed stage production. The story unfolds in a secluded village after an unidentified charred body is found.

Beijing Joy Fun Pictures' body-swap comedy 'Mr. & Mrs. Pardon' rounded out the top five with $1.4 million in its sixth weekend. Its cumulative gross reached $61.3 million. The satirical feature stars real-life comedic pair Shen Chunyang and Xiao Shenyang as a middle-aged couple forced to confront marital strain after swapping bodies.