Traces of Justice Reclaims Top Spot as China Box Office Slips to $16.4 Million

New Classics Pictures' crime drama Traces of Justice returned to the top of the mainland China box office for the weekend spanning November 6 to 8. The film earned 21.5 million yuan, or 3.2 million dollars, according to data from Artisan Gateway. This performance pushed the movie's cumulative total to 103.7 million dollars since its release on October 1.

Directed by Chen Sicheng, the film stars Zhang Yi, Ma Li, and Chen Minghao. The story follows an elite public security detective solving complex historical cases based on real events. The cast also includes Karry Wang, Fan Chengcheng, and Chen Feiyu.

Resident Evil dropped to second place after holding the number one spot for a month. The video game adaptation from Constantin Film and Sony Pictures took in 3 million dollars during its fifth weekend. Its total gross now stands at 76 million dollars since launching on October 5 during the Golden Week period.

Two new films entered the chart. Tencent Penguin Pictures' road drama Embers opened in third place with 2.1 million dollars over two days. The film, written and directed by Sun Aoqian, stars Song Jia as a crematorium worker who mixes up funeral ashes. She teams up with the deceased's daughter, played by Vicky Chen, for a cross-country journey. Zu Feng also appears in the film.

Shanghai Captain's rural black comedy thriller The Coffin Swap arrived in fourth position. It grossed 1.7 million dollars in its opening two days. Directed by He Nian, the film re-adapts Xin Yukun's 2014 mystery Deep in the Heart. The plot centers on a secluded village where an unidentified charred body sparks chaotic intrigue. Jiang Wu, Du Guangyi, Gu Xin, Fan Yilin, and Wang Weishuai star in the production.

Beijing Joy Fun Pictures' body-swap comedy Mr. & Mrs. Pardon rounded out the top five. It added 1.4 million dollars in its sixth weekend, bringing its total to 61.3 million dollars. The film stars Shen Chunyang and Xiao Shenyang as a middle-aged couple who swap bodies. It is directed by Shen Chunyang and written by Ma Duo.

The overall market contracted to 16.4 million dollars for the weekend. This decline reflects an ongoing fall lull in attendance. The 2026 year-to-date total reached 4.75 billion dollars, trailing the same period in 2025 by 29 percent.