"Assassin's Creed," Ubisoft's bestselling franchise since 2007, has sold over 93 million copies as of June 2015. The movie is directed by Justin Kurzel, and stars Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Irons. This is the debut of its first movie and has already grossed US$212 million in other markets.
"Resident Evil," a popular survival horror video game first released in 1996, has sold 75 million units worldwide and is Capcom's biggest franchise in terms of sales. The new film is the final chapter of its movie adaptations and is directed by Paul W. S. Anderson and stars the iconic Milla Jovovich. It has already grossed US$147 million.
Current presale statistics show that "Resident Evil: The Final Chapter" sold more tickets than "Assassin's Creed." Both films open on Friday.
The Chinese film market has displayed large potential for video game adaptation films in recent years. Duncan Jones' "Warcraft," a production by China's Wanda Group-owned Legendary Pictures, raked in 1.47 billion yuan (US$213 million) in China alone despite performing poorly in other markets. "The Angry Birds Movie," another game adaptation from Sony, grossed an impressive 514 million yuan (US$74.65 million).
However, both "Assassin's Creed" and "Resident Evil" have received mostly negative reviews from critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, "Assassin's Creed" only has an approval rating of 18 percent based on 171 reviews, while "Resident Evil" finale has an approval rating of 33 percent based on 79 reviews. It remains to be seen if game players' nostalgia can override the harsh criticism in China.
China has a vast video game industry, according to the 2016 China's Video Game Industry Report released in December 2016 by Chinese authorities, with sales grossing 165.57 billion yuan (US$24.04 billion).