"Monster Hunt" is one of the proofs of Chinese animation sector's success. (Photo : Variety)
After pulling in a massive $109 million, the domestic fantasy epic "Monster Hunt" is now China's opening weekend record holder.
The film also broke the record for the biggest opening-day gross, bringing in $26.45 million, and for the biggest single-day gross, gathering in $29.84 million, both for a Chinese title. The records were previously held by the 2014 film "The Monkey King."
The $40-million-budgeted film, mixing live action and CGI monsters, also gained $8.7 million from over 200 IMAX theaters, yet another record-breaking feat for the fantasy epic.
"Monster Hunt" is co-helmed by Ramon Hui, who previously co-directed "Shrek the Third," and produced by the legendary Bill Kong.
The film features a stellar cast of Hong Kong and Chinese actors, such as Eric Tsang, Jiang Wu, Sandra Ng, Elaine Jin, Tang Wei and Bai Baihe.
Released on July 16, the firms behind the film's production include Dream Sky Entertainment, Beijing Digital Impression Media, Tencent Video, Heyi Pictures, and Beijing Union Pictures, among others.
The record-breaking local title is set in a world where men and monsters co-exist. It follows the story of a monster named Wuba, who was born to be a king and became the key figure in halting a monster civil war.
Other films who fared well over the weekend include the comedy spoof "Pancake Man," "Monkey King: Hero Is Back," "Forever Young" and "Tiny Times 4.0."
Recently, Chinese films have also performed well in the international arena, with "Monster Hunt" besting "Ant-Man" and "Minions" as the top-grossing international feature film over the weekend.
