(THR) Paramount and Skydance's Mission: Impossible — Fallout has landed in China, where it posted a franchise-best opening day gross of $28 million on Friday, according to early estimates.
The sixth installment in the action spy franchise has grossed nearly $550 million worldwide and is widely expected to become the top-grossing title in the series by the end of its global run in theaters.
China, where Tom Cruise is a huge star, will play a key role in making that happen.
The last film, Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation, debuted to more than $86 million in China on its first weekend; Fallout should match or eclipse that number. Rogue Nation went on to earn a total of $136 million in the Middle Kingdom.
Outside of China, Fallout is still doing business in North America, as well as in numerous foreign territories.
Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol is the top earner in the franchise to date, grossing $694 million globally in 2011, not adjusted for inflation.
Fallout reunites Cruise with his Rogue Nation director, Christopher McQuarrie. Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Harris, Michelle Monaghan and Alec Baldwin all reprise their roles from previous M:I pics, while Henry Cavill, Angela Bassett and Vanessa Kirby join the series. The plot follows Hunt and his crew as they try to outsmart a CIA agent (Cavill) during an assignment gone wrong.
Cruise once again performed a number of his own high-risk stunts.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter by