The weekend of October 9–11 saw China and South Korea box office markets cool following their respective holiday highs. In mainland China, the horror reboot Resident Evil claimed the top spot from the previous weekend’s leader, Traces of Justice. In South Korea, the animated hit Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island edged past the politically controversial thriller The Assassin(s) by just 215 admissions.
In China, Constantin Film and Sony Pictures’ Resident Evil topped the weekend chart with RMB 81.2 million ($12.1 million) over the three-day period, according to Artisan Gateway. The video game adaptation opened on Monday, October 5, during the second half of the Golden Week holiday and has now earned $40.7 million. According to Deadline, the result helped lift the film’s worldwide total to approximately $320 million, the highest-grossing film of director Zach Cregger’s career.
New Classics Pictures’ crime drama Traces of Justice slipped to second place in its second weekend, collecting $8.3 million and taking its cumulative total to $73.4 million since opening on October 1. Directed by Chen Sicheng, the film stars Zhang Yi, Ma Li, Chen Minghao, Karry Wang, Fan Chengcheng and Chen Feiyu. It follows a veteran public security officer as he investigates major historical cases based on real events.
Beijing Joy Fun Pictures’ family body-swap comedy Mr. & Mrs. Pardon held third place with $5.7 million, bringing its cumulative total to $43.6 million. Directed by Shen Chunyang, the film stars Shen Chunyang, Xiao Shenyang, Jia Bing and Yu Yang. It follows a middle-aged couple forced to confront stagnation in their marriage after they switch bodies.
CMC Pictures’ revenge thriller sequel Go for Broke 2 placed fourth with $1 million in its second weekend. Written and directed by Marc Ma, the film stars Isabella Leong, Wen Junhui and Sammo Hung. It has earned $7.9 million since opening on October 3.
Rounding out China’s top five was Once Upon a Time in the Middle East, the country’s entry in the Academy Awards’ International Feature Film category. The war drama collected $800,000 in its ninth weekend, taking its cumulative total to $353 million since opening on August 11. Directed by Wen Muye, it stars Shen Teng, Jiang Qiming, Aarif Rahman and Omar Sherif.
Mainland China’s overall weekend box office fell to $30.8 million as the market settled following the National Day holiday rush. The year-to-date total stood at $4.63 billion, down 29.4% from the same point last year.
In South Korea, Toho’s Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island claimed the top spot with $3.13 million from 407,895 admissions across 1,067 screens, securing a 29.7% market share, according to KOBIS. Directed by Kei Oikawa and adapted from Nagano’s manga, the film follows Chiikawa and friends as they travel to a remote island and uncover a supernatural danger. Since opening wide on September 30, it has earned $9.9 million from 1,281,485 admissions.
Hur Jin-ho’s The Assassin(s) slipped to second place by just 215 admissions, collecting $3.03 million from 407,680 admissions across 1,312 screens and accounting for a 28.78% market share. The drama stars Yu Hae-jin, Park Hae-il and Lee Min-ho and reconstructs the assassination attempt on President Park Chung-hee on August 15, 1974.
The film has continued its run amid growing political backlash. Conservative groups, lawmakers and bereaved family members have accused it of historical distortion and filed defamation complaints. Protests were held outside Yu’s home, cast members withdrew from promotional events at the Busan International Film Festival, and a coalition of 19 Korean film guilds issued a statement defending freedom of expression. The film’s cumulative total stands at $21.8 million from 2,992,543 admissions, bringing it close to the three-million-admission milestone.
CJ ENM’s gambling drama Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub held third place in its third weekend, collecting $1.4 million from 190,080 admissions and securing a 13.97% market share. Directed by Choi Kook-hee and starring Byun Yo-han, Noh Jae-won and Ayaka Miyoshi, the fourth instalment in the franchise has earned $13.1 million.
The Odyssey placed fourth in its tenth weekend with $979,402 from 95,215 admissions, accounting for a 9.2% market share. Its cumulative total in South Korea has reached $103.1 million from 12.1 million admissions, making it the highest-grossing international release in the country’s box-office history, according to the original report.
Lotte Entertainment’s action fantasy Reawakened Man rounded out the top five in its second weekend, collecting $398,045 from 49,345 admissions. Directed by Baek Seung-ryong, the webtoon adaptation stars Koo Kyo-hwan as a man who resurrects three days after each death. The film has earned $2.2 million.
Just outside the top five, Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Look Back opened in sixth place with $339,468, while Takashi Shimizu’s horror film The Mouths debuted in seventh with $256,120. South Korea’s overall weekend box office reached $10.5 million, down from $12.6 million the previous week.
The October 9–11 weekend saw both markets settle after strong holiday periods. In China, Resident Evil led the chart as the market’s overall collections declined following the holiday rush. In South Korea, the animated Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island narrowly secured the top position ahead of The Assassin(s), with the two films separated by just a few hundred admissions.
China Box Office: October 9–11, 2026
- Resident Evil — $12.1 million | Cumulative: $40.7 million
- Traces of Justice — $8.3 million | Cumulative: $73.4 million
- Mr. & Mrs. Pardon — $5.7 million | Cumulative: $43.6 million
- Go for Broke 2 — $1 million | Cumulative: $7.9 million
- Once Upon a Time in the Middle East — $800,000 | Cumulative: $353 million
South Korea Box Office: October 9–11, 2026
- Chiikawa the Movie: The Secret of the Mermaid Island — $3.13 million | Admissions: 407,895 | Cumulative: $9.9 million
- The Assassin(s) — $3.03 million | Admissions: 407,680 | Cumulative: $21.8 million
- Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub — $1.4 million | Admissions: 190,080 | Cumulative: $13.1 million
- The Odyssey — $979,402 | Admissions: 95,215 | Cumulative: $103.1 million
- Reawakened Man — $398,045 | Admissions: 49,345 | Cumulative: $2.2 million