Any hopes Disney had about Star Wars: The Last Jedi catching a second wind after its release in China are likely being rethought after the second film in the current Star Wars trilogy has failed to find the expected audience in that country.
The Last Jedi opened in second place in the country (the last major release area for the film), despite appearing on a tremendous number of screens and receiving the full backing of Disney’s marketing machine.
The film earned $8.28 million in its first week (including midnight screenings and previews). That fell far short of the $15.7 million earned by The Ex-File: The Return of the Exes, the final installment in a popular Chinese comedy.
Curious what’s more powerful than the Jedi? Here’s a peak:
While the saga of Luke Skywalker and the rest of the rebellion has captivated audiences in the U.S. since 1978, China has never been gripped by the same hysteria. The Force Awakens earned $124 million during its run in the country, but was only the 13th most popular film of the year. Last year’s Rogue One took in $69.5 million.
Still, The Last Jedi is hardly hurting. The film topped $1 billion in ticket sales worldwide in just three weeks before it even made it to China. It’s currently the eighth highest-grossing domestic film of all time—and will certainly climb higher on that list before it wraps up its theatrical run.
