No, that's not a typo. In an unexpected turn of events, The Expendables 2 has officially outgrossed both The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man in China.
As of Sunday, the bro-tastic followup to 2010's The Expendables has grossed $54 million, according to the L.A. Times. Meanwhile, Batman and Spidey came in just under that with $52.5 million and $48.5 million, respectively.
"It's phenomenal what's happening in China with this movie," said Avi Lerner, whose Millennium Films made Expendables 2. For China, the action sequel was the eighth highest-grossing film of the year, with Titanic 3D laying claim to the top spot with $146 million.
The American box office, of course, tells a different story. Domestically, The Expendables 2 only earned a modest $84 million, while The Dark Knight Rises pulled in $445 million, and The Amazing Spider-Man $262 million.
Raymond Zhou, a film critic for China Daily, recently explained that Expendables' success was likely due to the popularity of ensemble casts, which are quite common in Chinese productions.
"This is a perfect movie for Chinese audiences," Zhou said. "Just like over-the-hill singers can find a market in Vegas, over-the-hill movie stars can find a market in China."
Max Nicholson is a writer for IGN, and he desperately seeks your approval. Show him some love by following @Max_Nicholson on Twitter or, MaxNicholson on IGN.
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