Mainland China’s National Day corridor delivered a strong opener without fixing the wider box office. New Classics Pictures’ crime procedural Traces of Justice led the Oct. 2–4 frame with RMB208.9 million ($31.2 million), lifting its cume to $41.8 million since its Oct. 1 debut, according to Artisan Gateway data cited by Variety.
Directed by Chen Sicheng, the period detective drama stars Zhang Yi and follows a legendary detective and his team as they crack complex cases across decades, set against the evolution of China’s public security forces.
Domestic titles hold the top five
- Traces of Justice — $31.2M weekend, $41.8M cume.
- Mr. & Mrs. Pardon — $17.3M weekend, $24.5M cume.
- Once Upon a Time in the Middle East — $4.4M weekend, $349.9M cume.
- All Wishes Come True! — $4.3M weekend, $302.2M cume.
- Go for Broke 2 — $4.2M opening.
The number that matters
Overall weekend box office reached $74.1M as theatrical activity accelerated for the National Day holiday. But China’s year-to-date revenue stands at $4.52 billion — down 29.7% compared with the same period in 2025. That gap is the better planning signal than any single weekend win.
The top five is entirely local. Holiday audiences are still showing up for domestic crime, comedy, animation and action titles, but the market is corridor-driven rather than in broad recovery. Peaks are clustering around Golden Week and similar holiday windows.
What release teams should do
For media planners and entertainment marketers, the frame is a practical reminder to front-load campaigns for holiday corridors. A $31.2M opener is strong in a shrinking annual market, but it does not reset the year. Teams should benchmark against the 29.7% annual trend and treat Golden Week and Chinese New Year as make-or-break release moments.
Source: Variety
