Aussie box office flop Bait 3D continues to do well overseas, with a strong opening weekend in China.
The film took approximately AU$7.05m at the Chinese box office in its first weekend in cinemas.
Distributed by Yunnan Film Group, Enlight Pictures and Scholar Media, the film opened on about 2,000 screens for a $3,600 screen average.
Producer Gary Hamilton said: “The audience for Bait 3D is growing exponentially worldwide,” said producer Gary Hamilton. “We’re delighted with the film’s immense success at the Chinese box office, which is a testament to the high quality of entertainment Bait has to offer.”
According international box office monitoring website Box Office Mojo, it places the film the 34th biggest opening weekend in Chinese cinema history, replacing Yau lung hei fung (Look for a Star), and beating out blockbusters Casino Royale and Iron Man.
The film opened poorly at the local box office three weeks ago, taking $365,000 in its first weekend.
However, a sequel was announced October 4, off the back of previous international takings of $2m in Italy as well as opening well in Russia and Malaysia.
The film had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival.
Directed by Kimble Rendall, the film is written by Russel Mulcahy and John Kim and produced by Hamilton, Todd Fellman, and Peter Barber. It is about a group of shoppers in a coastal supermarket first terrorised by robbers before a tsunami strikes and they become trapped in the submerged mall with a great white shark.
The film’s budget was $30m.