"Warcraft" shattered the China box office, as it pulled in a massive $156 million during its five day run in the mainland. 

The CGI-effects driven film has in fact established a new record in China for having the biggest debut in the country's history for a foreign released movie, reported Variety.  

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Undoubtedly, this is good news for Legendary and Universal, which produced the $160 million video adaptation of the highly-popular massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) of the same title.

"Warcraft" failed to get the attention of American moviegoers, as it only managed to gross a measly $24.4 million during its US premier.

The fantasy-adventure movie featuring ogres, mages and other magical creatures eclipsed the earlier record set by "Avengers: Age of Ultron" in 2015. 

But despite the tepid response of the North American market, "Warcraft's" box office triumph in China highlights more than ever the importance of foreign audiences to a Hollywood film's future overseas.  

"It's not a different kind of success story, it's a global success story," said Nick Carpou, Universal's domestic distribution chief.

"It has to do with the globalization of the theatrical business and the fact that international markets are getting stronger and stronger," Carpou added.

Industry experts expect China to overtake the United States as the world's largest film market by 2017.

Audiences outside the US have rescued films such as "Terminator: Genisys" and "Pacific Rim," which bombed at the tills during their stateside run but eventually became international hits. 

"At some point you're going to have a hugely budgeted film from a North American company that forgoes a North American release," anticipated Jeff Bock, an analyst with Exhibitor Relations.

"There are going to be more films that appeal just to that part of the world, the same way there are U.S. films that do no business in the rest of the world," Bock said.

"Warcraft's" box office success in China is largely attributed to the immense popularity of the "World of Warcraft" game in the country, and the involvement of Legendary Pictures, which is owned by Dalian Wanda, one of the nation's largest entertainment companies.

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