Chinese time-travel comedy "Hi, Mom" continued to triumph in the Chinese box office, raking in 266.9 million yuan ($40.92 million) last week (March 1–7), according to online movie-ticketing platform Maoyan.

The tearjerker, directed by and starring renowned comedian Jia Ling, hit cinemas on February 12, the first day of the Chinese New Year, and has since led the domestic 2021 box-office chart.

Its cumulative gross climbed to 5.13 billion yuan ($786.5 million), overtaking the 2019 blockbuster "Ne Zha" to become the second-highest grossing title to ever be screened in the country.

Also on the current chart are three Spring Festival blockbusters "Endgame," "Detective Chinatown 3," and "A Writer's Odyssey."

Black comedy drama "Endgame" and comedy-mystery picture "Detective Chinatown 3" held the second and third places with 124.5 million yuan ($19.1 million) and 100.2 million yuan ($15.4 million) in ticket sales respectively.

Coming in fourth with 71.2 million yuan ($10.9 million) was action fantasy "A Writer's Odyssey," followed by Disney's new release "Raya and the Last Dragon," which made its China premiere last Friday and earned around 54.7 million yuan ($8.4 million) to rank fifth during its opening weekend.

"Raya and the Last Dragon" brings viewers to a realm known as Kumandra, a re-imagined world inhabited by an ancient civilization. Inspired by Southeast Asian folklore and cultures, it features the studio's first Southeast Asian princess – a strong, brave heroine.

The animated fantasy epic depicts a healing coming-of-age tale, following the adventure of a lone warrior named Raya, who embarks on a challenging journey after evil returns to dominate the land to search for a legendary dragon named Sisu – the last chance for her to rescue and reunite the broken world.

Produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, the new production is helmed by Don Hall and Carlos Lopez Estrada and features a predominantly Asian American cast. 

Kelly Marie Tran lent her voice to the titular Raya while Awkwafina voiced dragon Sisu. Izaac Wang, Gemma Chan, Daniel Dae Kim, and Sandra Oh were also part of the cast.

Despite its soft commercial reception, the adventure picture has received strong word-of-mouth among the audience. Online reviews have ranked it high with a score of 9.1 on Maoyan and 8.8 on Taopiaopiao – two Chinese movie ticketing platforms – and 7.3 on Douban, a Rotten Tomatoes-like film rating website.

"The artistic designs are amazing! I knew there would be a Southeast Asian princess but the visual experience is so much beyond my expectation, which even reminded me of my travels in Vietnam years ago: colorful delicacies and a celebration of multiple faiths," read one of the popular short reviews.

"There are many joyful and touching moments. In the pandemic era, Disney still keeps conveying love, trust and peace, which resonate deeply with me. And I really love the battle scenes between female warriors, stunning!" said another user.

Six new titles are set for release this Friday, including Chinese-British romantic comedy "Special Couple," starring Chinese actors Aarif Rahman from Hong Kong and Bai Ke from the Chinese mainland, as well as British actor Rupert Graves ("Sherlock," 2010–2017), marking the first non-documentary feature co-produced by China and the UK.

American romantic drama "Five Feet Apart" will also make its China debut on Friday, almost one year after its release in the U.S. on March 15, 2020. The film, starring Haley Lu Richardson and Cole Sprouse, explores a love story of two young patients with cystic fibrosis.

(Cover image by Feng Yuan)