The Universal tentpole F9 took a major hit in the China box office as it fell 85 percent in its second weekend, earning just $20.8 million compared to its $136 million roaring opening weekend. After two weekends, the Vin Diesel/John Cena film has earned $185.3 million, which is slightly ahead of where franchise spinoff Hobbs & Shaw was sitting at a similar point in its China run, but far weaker than the preceding franchise mainstays Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious, which topped out at $390.9 million in 2015 and $392.8 million in 2017, respectively.
Chinese ticketing app Maoyan currently projects F9 to finish at $211.9 million, which is a lot lower compared to the franchise’s recent heights, especially since China’s theatrical market is back to full earning capacity.
In The Hollywood Reporters report, it mentioned that the downfall at the box office could be a mixture of the John Cena controversy and its poor reviews
