Chinese blockbuster's box office total tops 5.7 billion yuan

Patriotic Chinese blockbuster "The Battle at Lake Changjin" saw its cumulative box office total since Sept. 30 exceed 5.7 billion yuan (about 891.52 million U.S. dollars) on Friday.

Approximately 122 million moviegoers have, so far, watched the film in cinemas across China, according to the movie data platform Maoyan.

The war epic is currently the highest-grossing title of all time at China's box office, having overtaken the previous top earner -- the 2017 Chinese action film "Wolf Warrior 2," which earned 5.69 billion yuan.

It is also the top earner so far this year globally, immediately followed by domestic comedy "Hi, Mom" and the latest James Bond film "No Time To Die."

Jointly directed by Chen Kaige, Hark Tsui, and Dante Lam, "The Battle at Lake Changjin" is set during the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-1953) and tells the story of Chinese People's Volunteers (CPV) soldiers fighting bravely in freezing temperatures in a key campaign at Lake Changjin, or Chosin Reservoir.

The story of young warriors, willing to risk it all to defend their motherland against the world's best-equipped army despite the lack of food and warm clothing amid the bitter cold, has moved many moviegoers to tears.

"The Battle at Lake Changjin" is set to have a sequel called "Water Gate Bridge." It will see the return of stars Wu Jing and Jackson Yee and other leading members of the original cast, an official announcement made via social media said in late October.

The new film, for which a release date is yet to be announced, follows CPV soldiers of the same company as they take on a new task. And this time, their battlefield is a crucial bridge on the retreat route of American troops.