China Daily reported the remarks of a Chinese official who was asked whether the tension between China and the US is having an impact on the import of Hollywood movies. Sun Yeli, deputy head of the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China responded at a news conference in Beijing, “We are ready to introduce foreign films from any country as long as it can produce good films that cater to the needs and interests of Chinese audiences. We hope the quality of American films can continue to be improved on the basis of respecting our culture, customs, and audience behaviors. We will import from whichever countries that make better films and films that are more suitable for the taste of the Chinese audience.”

With only 28 US films released in China in 2021, compared to 50 in 2019, and only 18 so far this year, the focus of the Chinese administration continues to be on promoting the local industry.

So it’s a bit strange that the US drama from February 2021, The Mauritanian, is getting a belated release in China on August 23, after a previously planned release in June 2021. It has been speculated that the approval was given as the film deals with the US government’s failures at Guantanamo Bay prison, specifically the story of a prisoner unfairly locked up without charges. It stars Tahar Rahim as the prisoner and Jodie Foster, as the attorney who fights the US government for his release – both Golden Globe nominees and Foster with a Golden Globe for her role.

Despite the current Covid spike closing many cinemas, at least 25% in Shanghai alone, moviegoers have continued to buy tickets, making blockbusters out of a few local titles.

Universal’s Minions: The Rise of Gru opened on Friday with an estimated $3.09 million for the day at No. 3, the biggest opening of an animated film during the pandemic. Its three-day weekend gross was $11.56 million. It never reached No. 1 over the weekend and ended up in fourth place on Sunday. The film already opened internationally on July 1 and earned $800 worldwide. It is directed by Kyle Balda and voiced by Steve Carell, Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Yeoh, Julie Andrews, and Russell Brand.

Here are the top ten films for the weekend of August 19-21.

The animated Xin Shen Bang: Yang Jian (New Gods) made its debut this weekend at No. 1. Directed by Ji Zhao and starring voice actor Kai Wang, it made $19.86 million in three days of release. The story is described thus: “Fifteen hundred years after the war of gods, the heaven declined. Yang Jian, the God of Erlang, made a living by working as a catcher. One day, Yang Jian was ordered to hunt down a young man, his own nephew.”

Moon Man, the Chinese sci-fi comedy, continued its blockbuster run, dropping to No. 2 and earning $17.87 million over the weekend, with a total of $399.66 in 24 days of release. It was the No. 5 movie worldwide for the week ending August 21, according to Comscore, although it is only released in China. It was No.1 the previous week.

Warriors of the Future, a sci-fi action adventure film, stayed at No. 3, grossing $10.52 million this weekend, for a total of $72.76 million in 17 days. The Hong Kong film was three years in the making and is directed by visual effects artist Ng Yuen-fai and stars Louis Koo, Sean Lau and Carina Lau. The plot deals with a killer plant called Pandora that crashes into Earth in 2055 and ravages everything in its path.

After Gru in fourth place, The Fallen Bridge, a crime story, comes in at No. 5 with $3.28 million, for a total of $30.80 million over nine days. It is directed by Yu Li and tells of a cold case that is revealed when a skeleton is found after a bridge collapses. The victim’s daughter embarks on a quest to solve the mystery of her father’s death accompanied by a young boy. The film stars Sichun Ma, Karry Wang and Wei Fan.

In sixth place is the other Chinese hit Lighting Up the Stars which has grossed $252.70 million in 59 days. The film is directed by Liu Jiang and tells the story of a funeral director (Zhu Yilong) and a young girl (Yang Enyou) who become friends once he gets out of prison.

The animated Goodbye Monster, a story about a healer who is banished after accidentally destroying an island and his journey to redemption, came in at No. 7 with $5.20 million in nine days of release.

Chinese serial killer murder mystery Detective vs. Sleuths fell to No. 8 and made a total of $105.06 million in 45 days of release including a week of previews. The story is set in Hong Kong and stars Sean Lau as a former detective force who had a mental breakdown. On his own, he goes after a serial killer called the “Sleuth.” The film costars Raymond Lam and Carman Lee Yeuk-tung, and is written and directed by Wai Ka-fai.

Rounding out the top ten are CG animated undersea adventure GG Bond: Ocean Mission in ninth place with $4.05 million in 16 days, and the romance drama Return to Dust in tenth place with $3.03 million in 45 days of release.