"Warcraft" opened Wednesday in China with $46 million, setting a new record in that country for a non-weekend premiere. The previous record holder was Marvel's "Avengers: Age of Ultron," which debuted last year with $28.3 million.

According to Variety, analysts predict the Duncan Jones fantasy-adventure could rake in as much as $150 million in its first five days of release in China.

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That's of course good news for Legendary Pictures, particularly because the adaptation of the blockbuster video game series from Blizzard Entertainment is expected to receive a much cooler reception when it opens Friday in North America.

Reviews haven't exactly been glowing ("Warcraft" is at 24 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), and it's expected to pull in about $25 million on Friday, on its way to a $45 million opening weekend. Those aren't the kinds of figures a studio hopes for after shelling out a reported $160 million on production alone.

Thanks to that boost from China, "Warcraft" has grossed $121 million overseas, where it's been playing for three weeks in some markets.