Traces of Justice Reclaims Top Spot at China Box Office
Local crime drama leads as new releases Embers and The Coffin Swap debut.
1Justice Reclaims Lead
The crime procedural drama Traces of Justice returned to the top of the mainland China box office. Directed by Chen Sicheng, the film earned RMB 21.5 million, or $3.2 million, during the November 6-8 weekend. Since its October 1 release, the multi-decade investigation epic has accumulated a total gross of $103.7 million.
2Resident Evil Slips
After a month-long reign at the top of the charts, the horror reboot Resident Evil fell to second place. The film, a collaboration between Constantin Film and Sony Pictures, earned $3 million in its fifth weekend. This video game adaptation has now reached a total cumulative haul of $76 million since October 5.
3Embers Makes Debut
Tencent Penguin Pictures released the road drama Embers, which debuted in third place. Directed by Sun Aoqian, the film grossed $2.1 million during its two-day opening frame starting November 7. The story follows a crematorium worker, played by Song Jia, who embarks on a cross-country journey to return accidentally swapped funeral ashes.
4Coffin Swap Opens
Shanghai Captain’s rural black comedy-thriller The Coffin Swap secured the fourth position in its debut. The film earned $1.7 million over the two-day weekend. Directed by He Nian, it re-adapts the 2014 mystery classic Deep in the Heart, focusing on a secluded village dealing with the discovery of an unidentified charred body.
5Pardon Maintains Presence
Beijing Joy Fun Pictures’ body-swap comedy Mr. Mrs. Pardon rounded out the top five rankings. The satirical feature added $1.4 million in its sixth weekend of release. Directed by Shen Chunyang, the film has now reached a cumulative gross of $61.3 million, depicting a middle-aged couple navigating marital strain after swapping bodies.
6Market Contraction Observed
Mainland China’s overall weekend box office contracted to $16.4 million during the period. This decline occurs amid an ongoing fall lull in the theatrical market. The 2026 year-to-date box office has reached $4.75 billion, which currently trails the performance of the same period in 2025 by a significant margin of 29 percent.
7Production and Cast Context
Traces of Justice features a high-profile cast including Zhang Yi, Ma Li, and Karry Wang. The narrative tracks an elite public security detective solving complex historical cases based on real events. Meanwhile, The Coffin Swap stars Jiang Wu and Du Guangyi, bringing a stage-production perspective to the rural mystery thriller genre.
8Theatrical Landscape Outlook
The current box office landscape reflects a shift toward local productions like Embers and The Coffin Swap. As the industry navigates a 29 percent year-over-year decline, the performance of these new releases remains critical. Analysts are monitoring whether these domestic titles can sustain momentum against the ongoing seasonal market contraction.
Original article: Variety — Traces of Justice Reclaims Top Spot at China Box Office