The government's order that cinemas allocate 35 percent of all screenings to historic space epic 'Time of the First,' produced by Timur Bekmambetov, didn't help it much.
'Furious 7,' the most recent film in the franchise, earned a historic $390 million in China in 2015 and remains Hollywood's biggest release there ever.
Despite the generally positive local reaction to the Hollywood addition to the beloved franchise, the film's home fanbase is too small to make a difference.
The movie — starring Morgan Freeman, Alan Arkin and Michael Caine — opened ahead of expectations and also played strongly in areas where retirees congregate.
The troubled Scarlett Johansson sci-fi thriller escaped embarassment in the Middle Kingdom but didn't put up big enough numbers to turn around its global fortunes.
Elsewhere, 'Beauty and the Beast' holds at No. 2 as it prepares to waltz past the $1 billion mark globally. 'Going in Style,' catering to older adults, opens ahead of expectations.