‘Spider-Man 2’ sews up China box office; earnings top $55 million

Reporting from Beijing — “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” sewed up the No. 1 spot at China’s box office in the seven days ending Sunday with $45 million and now has taken in more than $55 million on the mainland.

In its first eight days of release, Sony Pictures’ Spidey sequel already outperformed the series’ first installment, which earned about $50 million total in 2012, film industry consulting firm Artisan Gateway said Wednesday.

“Spider-Man 2” hasn’t raked in the cash quite as quickly as “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” which took in $66.7 million in its first eight days. But Peter Parker was a bit handicapped by its awkward release date — a Sunday — that gave Chinese films a head start at the box office in early May, a holiday period.

In second place for the week ending Sunday was “My Old Classmate,” a nostalgic tale that has performed phenomenally since being released April 25; the film has earned nearly $65 million so far.

Local production “The Great Hypnotist” was No. 3 with $10.6 million, while the Jason Statham-starrer “Redemption” from Lionsgate was in fourth place with $2.5 million. “Aberdeen,” which had been dogged by controversy over one of its stars’ perceived anti-mainland remarks, was in fifth place with just $1.6 million.