Spy film uncovers secret of success

Argylle, the Hollywood spy comedy, topped the box-office charts on the Chinese mainland on Friday, its opening day.

Under the direction of British filmmaker Matthew Vaughn, the movie was released in the United States on Feb 2, dominating the weekend during its opening week.

Starring actress Bryce Dallas Howard as a reclusive but top-selling author who specializes in espionage novels, this twist-filled tale recounts how the protagonist encounters a real spy during a train ride, leading to a series of chaotic moments as the duo try to escape from a global spy syndicate, ultimately uncovering a thrilling truth.

Partly due to the decrease in theater attendance in the first week after Spring Festival, Argylle has currently grossed 1.22 million yuan ($170,000) at the box office. Some industry observers estimated it will see an increase over the weekend.

Mainly propelled by the Chinese blockbusters released during Spring Festival, the overall box office earnings for this month have passed 10 billion yuan so far, marking the sixth time that a single month has achieved this milestone in the history of Chinese cinema, according to movie information tracker Maoyan.