Big hit! Jason's new film "The Meg" has a higher North American box office than the mainland on the first day

"The Meg", starring Jason Statham and Li Bingbing, opened simultaneously in China and the United States. The film took in $16.5 million in North America on Friday, higher than expected and surpassing the film's first-day box office in mainland China of about $16 million. The film is expected to take in $40 million in its first weekend, almost double the expected box office.

The Meg opened in 4,118 theaters in North America, becoming the second largest opening in August, second only to Suicide Squad's 4,225 theaters. The film's first weekend box office will not only surpass Meg ($11.2 million) and The Shallows ($16.8 million), but is also expected to surpass the 2013 Warner summer blockbuster Pacific Rim's $37.2 million first weekend box office.

The hot sales of "The Meg" in North America prove that the North American box office has a deep complex about sharks. From Spielberg's classic "Jaws" to recent "The Shallows" and "The Shallows", sharks have a strong and dangerous appeal to Western audiences (although data shows that only about 5 people are killed by sharks each year).

For Chinese audiences, although the film is direct and brutal, displays spectacles, and stars Jason Statham, an "old friend" of the Chinese people, on the one hand, Chinese audiences lack such a shark complex; on the other hand, the film encountered the same period of sentimental selling "Love Apartment" and Huang Bo's debut "A Good Show", and the box office was diverted.

The Meg grossed $51 million worldwide on its first day, including about $16 million in China and $16.5 million in North America. The film cost about $150 million to make and could potentially be made into a series.

The runner-up on Friday's box office was Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible 6, which has been out for three weeks and is still doing well, earning $5.3 million on Friday and a cumulative box office of about $150 million. The film is expected to earn another $23 million this week.

Sony's horror film "Slender Man" also performed better than expected, earning $4.85 million at the box office on Friday. However, the film's reputation was worrying, and it only received a D- in the CinemaScore audience survey on the first day.

Spike Lee's Cannes Film Festival Grand Jury Prize winner "BlacKkKlansman" opened with $3.6 million, ranking fifth, second only to Disney's "Christopher Robin". The film is expected to take in $9-10 million in its first week; given the good reputation of the film among the audience, CinemaScore received an A- rating ("The Meg" was B+), and some industry insiders are optimistic that the film can take in about $13 million in its first week.