A scene from Boonie Bears III Photo: CFP

Star Wars: The Force Awakens saw its prospects dim in its second weekend at the Chinese mainland box office, as it faced a challenge from a local animated film: Boonie Bears III. Premiering on Saturday, the film based on the popular CCTV cartoon earned 56.1 million yuan ($8.5 million yuan) at the domestic box office, according to China Box Office, pushing Star Wars from the No.1 single day box office throne.

One of China's most popular cartoons, the film has earned 164 million yuan at the box office to date. The film's single day earnings on Saturday did not just beat out Star Wars but set a new record for opening day box office returns for a domestic animated film. The previous record was also set by the Boonie Bears franchise in 2014. 

A huge blockbuster overseas, The Force Awakens seems to have failed to awaken audiences in China.

As the reputation of Boonie Bears III continues to spread, showtimes for The Force Awakens in China may be further reduced, leading to Disney's hopes that the film might surpass Avatar to become the world's highest earning film in history. Adding to the film's worsening prospects is the coming winter holiday break, during which families are more likely to take their children to watch animated features like  Boonie Bears III.