'Hobbs and Shaw' is underperforming in China despite the massive popularity of The Rock and 'Fast and Furious'

• "Hobbs and Shaw" has made $186 million China and will likely top out soon, falling short of recent "Fast and Furious" movies that have earned over $390 million there.
• The underperformance is unusual given the popularity of the franchise and star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in the region.
• But the movie has still made over $700 million without most of the main "Fast and Furious" cast members.
• "Spinning off a major franchise, especially one with an ensemble cast like 'Fast and Furious,' is always tricky," Boxoffice Pro editorial director Daniel Loria told Business Insider.
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"Hobbs and Shaw" is running out of gas in China.

After a strong start in the region, the "Fast and Furious" spin-off has earned $186 million there, according to Variety, and will likely top out soon. It added $10 million over the slow weekend, and it's expected to make just $7 million more over its theatrical run, according to Chinese ticket service Maoyan (via Variety).

While that's more than the $164 million the movie has earned domestically, it still falls short of recent "Fast and Furious" movies. "Furious 7" and the eighth installment, "The Fate of the Furious," both made over $390 million in China and over $1 billion worldwide. "Hobbs and Shaw" has made $720 million off of a $200 million production budget.

The underperformance is unusual given the popularity of both the "Fast and Furious" franchise and star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in China. Johnson has turned potential duds, such as last year's "Rampage" and "Skyscraper," into global success stories thanks to his ability to attract audiences in China. "Rampage" made $156 million in China, which propelled its global total to $428 million despite a lackluster run in the US.

But the slowdown isn't just a "Hobbs and Shaw" issue. The Chinese box office was down 2.7% in the first half of 2019, according to Chinese industry site Mtime (via Screen Daily), potentially due to rising ticket prices and increased streaming competition (the domestic box office was down 6% and the worldwide box office was down 4.7% in the first half of the year, according to data from Comscore).

"Hobbs and Shaw" will likely finish its domestic run with the second-worst box office of the "Fast and Furious" franchise, after adjusting for inflation, only beating out "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift."

The good news is it's faring better globally, and will likely finish with the fourth-best worldwide total of the franchise. The fact that it has fallen short of the most recent "Fast and Furious" movies doesn't negate that it's made over $700 million without most of the cast members of the main series.

"Spinning off a major franchise, especially one with an ensemble cast like 'Fast and Furious,' is always tricky," Boxoffice Pro editorial director Daniel Loria told Business Insider last month. "Few IPs have been able to do it successfully, so it's a bit unfair to expect this spin-off to hit the billion-dollar heights of prior films in the series."

• Read more of Business Insider's coverage of "Hobbs and Shaw"
• How many millions The Rock and Jason Statham are getting paid for 'Fast and Furious' spin-off 'Hobbs and Shaw'
• 'Hobbs and Shaw' had the second-worst US opening of the 'Fast and Furious' franchise, but it could still be a huge hit
• 'Hobbs and Shaw' director hints that the A-list cameos in the movie could become bigger roles if it's turned into a franchise
• How a screenwriter's idea changed the 'Fast and Furious' franchise from direct-to-DVD peril into a $5 billion franchise
• 'Hobbs and Shaw' has boosted a lackluster summer box office, as it puts up strong numbers in China