The creators of the hit new James Bond film will have been left shaken and stirred by the news that they were trounced at the box office on their opening weekend by a Chinese war film commissioned by the Communist Party.

The Battle at Lake Changjin has raked in a whopping $203million, far eclipsing No Time To Die's $119million and Marvel's Venom: Let There Be Carnage which took receipts of $90.1million.

The three-hour epic revels in a rare Chinese victory over the US-led United Nations forces during the Korean War.

No Time To Die is the first film since Covid to debut with more than $100million without the Chinese market since the Covid pandemic. 

But it pales in comparison to the Chinese juggernaut which is the country's most expensive film ever made with a budget of $200million and was commissioned by the government's powerful central propaganda department.

Some claim the film's remarkable box office success could be due to the government organising cinema trips for its extensive workforce.

The Battle at Lake Changjin stars seasoned war film actor Wu Jing and popstar Jackson Yee.

The blockbuster depicts the killing of Americans and was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Communist Party.

It tells the story of the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in 1950, which China claims as the most important victory of the Korean War and forced a US retreat.

Wu said it is a 'film that celebrates life — a story of how young warriors are willing to risk it all to protect our homes and defend our country'.