"Ice Age: Dawn of The Dinosaurs," the third installment of the popular "Ice Age" series of animated films, has grossed 30 million yuan in the Chinese mainland in the first week since its opening on July 9.

Raking in a record-breaking 5 million yuan on its first day, the cartoon has been hailed as the most popular 3-D film so far in the Chinese market, despite an overall insufficiency in digital 3-D screens.

A-list cinemas have seen rocketing ticket sales for the glacial animation over the past weekend in big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.

It has been reported a number of cinemas across China rushed to install the necessary 3-D equipment to prepare for the foreseeable deluge of moviegoers prior to the film's opening, which increased the number of 3-D screens in China to 320.

The 3-D production also managed to gain the highest animation earnings in 11 regions throughout the world, grossing 51 million dollars alone from 3-D screenings worldwide in its first week.

(CRI July 14, 2009)