‘Hobbs & Shaw’ Had a Historic $102M Opening in China

The Rock had a pretty good weekend—but then again, it seems like he never has an off day. On top of his hit TV show Ballers beginning its final season, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw raced to a $102 million debut in China over the weekend. The debut made movie history as the biggest August opening ever in that country, and the second-biggest in Hollywood behind Avengers: Endgame.

“Our film’s success quietly does all the talking,” Johnson said in an Instagram post, which you can see here:

Of course, The Rock is no stranger to breaking box office records. In 2018, Forbes named him Hollywood’s highest-paid actor after he earned a staggering $124 million from June 2017 to June 2018. That’s a lot of cash.

Having such a historic opening in China would be quite the accomplishment for any actor, but it’s special for Johnson. The former WWE champion recently wrote about his “strong relationship with China,” which he says is anchored by the people.

“For years I’ve enjoyed investing in the Chinese culture,” he wrote on Facebook. “Do my best to grow our Seven Bucks brand and understand the Chinese consumer and market.”

As if setting international records wasn’t enough for The Rock, he also managed to dip his toes in political waters again over the weekend. Millions of people were eager for the season debut of Ballers, and one of those people was Massachusetts U.S. Sen. and Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren. 

“Can’t wait for the Season 5 premiere of @BallersHBO tonight (Bruce and I still can’t believe there won’t be a Season 6),” she wrote. “And congrats @TheRock on your marriage!”

The Rock, who has teased running for the White House, thanked Warren for the support in a tweet, which you can see here:

Some eagle-eyed Elizabeth Warren fans also noticed that Johnson was reading her book on the show. Check it out: