Zhang Jingchu’s Suspense Film with 100 Million Investment Earns Only 650,000 on Opening Day

On Saturday, April 12, the bustling mainland weekend movie market was surprisingly quiet as a slew of new films collectively encountered a box office slump. Leading the disappointing pack was the suspense film “Crime of Fate,” starring Zhang Jingchu, with an investment of over a hundred million Chinese Yuan. On its opening day, the film only managed to rake in 650,000 yuan.

Despite strategically avoiding the fierce competition on Fridays, Zhang Jingchu’s “Crime of Fate” still suffered a box office downturn on its first day of release. Data from the “Maoyan” platform revealed that the film held a 4.4% screen share but only accounted for 1% of box office revenues on April 12th. By 10 PM that day, the total box office earnings for “Crime of Fate” stood at a mere 650,000 yuan.

While the box office performance of the other new releases was far from impressive, “Crime of Fate” landed at the bottom of the rankings on the 12th. Industry estimates suggest that this high-budget production is unlikely to surpass 10 million yuan in total box office earnings.

Ironically, the film, which revolves around a “forgotten murder case,” has ironically become one of the most forgettable releases of 2025.

According to industry insiders’ analysis, the primary reasons behind the film’s box office failure include its convoluted plotline that combines elements of a seaside murder, a mysterious gambler death, police pursuit, and marital discord, resembling a mishmash soup. Feedback from viewers also indicated that the plot was too melodramatic.

Furthermore, the film was initially completed in 2018 under the title “Six Murderers,” remained shelved for seven years, and was rebranded as “Crime of Fate” for its current release, making it challenging for audiences to find interest in this rehashed murder mystery trope.

The root cause of the dismal box office performance lies in the overall downturn of the mainland Chinese film market.

Reports from mainland media revealed that the five new releases this week all opted for premieres on the 11th (Friday) and similarly faced a collective box office slump. Data showed that on that day, a total of 420,000 screenings were conducted nationwide, with 590,000 tickets sold, averaging only 1.4 viewers per screening. The average ticket price was 41 yuan, leading to a total revenue of merely 27.85 million yuan for the day. The desolate scene of nearly empty theaters painted a bleak picture.

Zhang Jingchu, often dubbed the “Little Zhang Ziyi,” previously delivered outstanding performances in major films such as “The Grandmaster,” “Aftershock,” and “Shadow,” but in recent years, she has predominantly focused on television dramas, with a significant decrease in the number of film projects. Some netizens lamented that due to the severe downturn in the Chinese economy, “the prime time for female actors in domestic blockbusters is too short.”