#1 of 3 #1 Chinese-language movie of May 2021
Break Through the Darkness (2021)
2021 · Crime, Drama
$52.7M worldwide · 54% of the chart's total
No US & Canada figure reported
Chinese box office · May 2021
Chinese Box Office, May 2021: Top-Grossing Releases
Break Through the Darkness (2021) is the highest-grossing Chinese-language movie released in May 2021, with $52.7M worldwide, ahead of Love Will Tear Us Apart (2021) at $45.1M and Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue (2021) at $2K. 3 Chinese-language films released in May 2021 report a worldwide gross, $97.8M in all. That is down 62% on April 2021, whose releases took $256.7M.
- May 2021 releases with a gross
- 3
- combined worldwide
- $97.8M
- Break Through the Darkness (2021), the #1
- $52.7M
- vs April 2021
- −62%
#1 of 3 Top 3
What Were the Biggest Chinese Hits of May 2021?
Break Through the Darkness (2021) leads with $52.7M, 54% of the total. The top 3 together took $97.8M, almost all of what the 3 films earned. Each bar splits a film's gross into the US & Canada and the rest of the world.
- Number 1
-
Number 2 -
Number 3
US & Canada (domestic) Rest of the world
The chart
Every Chinese Release of May 2021, Ranked by Worldwide Gross
Lifetime worldwide grosses in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation; domestic means the US & Canada. Films are grouped by their release date in May 2021.
- 1 May 1, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $52.7M
- 2 May 20, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $45.1M
- 3 May 28, 2021 US and Canada: – Rest of the world: – Worldwide: $2K
By release week
Which Week of May 2021 Had the Biggest Releases?
Films released in week 18 (Apr 25–May 1) took $52.7M, led by Break Through the Darkness (2021). Each column links to that week's chart; weeks are Sunday to Saturday.
- Week 18 Wk 18 Apr 25–May 1 Break Through the Darkness (2021) $52.7M Break Through the Darkness (2021)
- Week 19 Wk 19 May 2–8 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 20 Wk 20 May 9–15 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
- Week 21 Wk 21 May 16–22 Love Will Tear Us Apart (2021) $45.1M Love Will Tear Us Apart (2021)
- Week 22 Wk 22 May 23–29 Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue (2021) $2K Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue (2021)
- Week 23 Wk 23 May 30–Jun 5 No reported grosses – No reported grosses
Earlier years
How Does May 2021 Compare With May in Earlier Years?
Of these 10 years, May 2013 earned the most: $117.8M from 3 films, led by American Dreams in China (2013). May 2021 took $97.8M.
| Month | Films | Worldwide | Change | Biggest film |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2012 No films | 0 | – | – | – |
| May 2013 3 films | 3 | $117.8M | – | American Dreams in China (2013) $87.1M |
| May 2014 3 films · −92% | 3 | $9.9M | −92% | Dragon Nest: Warriors’ Dawn (2014) $9.8M |
| May 2015 2 films · −90% | 2 | $990.1K | −90% | First of May (2015) $728.4K |
| May 2016 4 films · +2044% | 4 | $21.2M | +2044% | Phantom of the Theatre (2016) $13.5M |
| May 2017 4 films · −68% | 4 | $6.7M | −68% | Beautiful Accident (2017) $2.6M |
| May 2018 6 films · +158% | 6 | $17.3M | +158% | Crystal Sky of Yesterday (2018) $12.1M |
| May 2019 5 films · +62% | 5 | $28M | +62% | Always Miss You (2019) $19M |
| May 2020 2 films · −95% | 2 | $1.4M | −95% | Idol (2020) $1.4M |
| May 2021 3 films · +6989% | 3 | $97.8M | +6989% | Break Through the Darkness (2021) $52.7M |
Archive
Chinese Box Office in 2021, Month by Month
The months of 2021 with their totals: February leads with $1.8B, led by Hi, Mom (2021).
- January No grosses
- February $1.8B #1 Hi, Mom (2021)
- March $92.1K #1 Fire on the Plain (2021)
- April $256.7M #1 Cliff Walkers (2021)
- May $97.8M #1 Break Through the Darkness (2021)
- June $39.2M #1 On Your Mark (2021)
- July $529.4M #1 Raging Fire (2021)
- August $14.9K #1 A New Old Play (2021)
- September $911.6M #1 The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021)
- October $22.9K #1 Ascension (2021)
- November $53.3M #1 The Door Lock (2021)
- December $58.3M #1 Schemes in Antiques (2021)
FAQ
Chinese Box Office May 2021: Questions & Answers
The chart's numbers in short: the #1 film, the total, the billion-dollar hits and the US & Canada share, answered from the same 3 films as the chart.
What is the highest-grossing Chinese-language movie in May 2021?
Break Through the Darkness (2021) leads with $52.7M worldwide. Next come Love Will Tear Us Apart (2021) at $45.1M and Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue (2021) at $2K.
How much did Chinese-language movies released in May 2021 earn?
3 Chinese-language films released in May 2021 report a worldwide gross, $97.8M in all, or $32.6M per film on average. April 2021 releases took $256.7M.
How many Chinese-language movies released in May 2021 made $1 billion?
None. The biggest, Break Through the Darkness (2021), earned $52.7M.
How is the May 2021 Chinese box office chart ranked and where do the numbers come from?
Films are ranked by lifetime worldwide gross in US dollars, not adjusted for inflation, and grouped by their release date in May 2021. The figures are the reported box office grosses in our database. A gross that looks misattributed, such as one figure shared by two unrelated films or a blockbuster total on an obscure title, is left out rather than shown as a fact, and so are films whose stored language is most likely wrong.
How often is the May 2021 Chinese box office chart updated?
Grosses change while films are in theaters and whenever a new figure is reported; this chart reads the latest numbers in our database, so an older film can still move after a re-release.