In 2005, there were roughly 4,425 movie screens in China. That number was representative of a country and culture that had produced some truly great films over the years - most significant box office force in the world.

However, the current culture of cinema in China sometimes leads to some...unusual box office hits. Because of China’s still-stringent rules on both the content of films allowed to screen in the country as well as the number of films screened there, there's a growing list of movies that bombed in America and other parts of the world that went on to become huge hits in China. While many movies that are popular in Western markets also so happen to be popular in China, other box office hits may leave you with a shocked look on your face.

These are 15 Movies You Had No Idea Were REALLY Popular In China.

Honorable Mentions: Transformers/The Fast and the Furious

These film franchises are listed as honorable mentions for the simple reason that many of you may be aware that they're huge in China and many other places in the world as well. However, you might not know just how popular these franchises are in China. For instance, did you know that two of the top five grossing movies in Chinese film history are Fast and the Furious films? Did you know that Fate of the Furious grossed over $350 million in China alone? The film series could only release in China and still be box office sensations.

Transformers, meanwhile, continues to grow in popularity in China. Two Transformers films appear on the list of the top-10 grossing movies in the country's history. Transformers: The Last Knight’s opening weekend in China even ed for over 63% of the film’s international opening gross. While the property wasn’t necessarily a big deal in China prior to the debut of these films, giant fighting robots is just one of those universally entertaining things, it seems.

15. Robocop 3D

While some people think of RoboCop as just another ‘80s action movie, many more people know that it's actually an incredibly intelligent film. The movie’s musings on topics such as consumerism and industrial power are just as relevant as RoboCop’s portrayal of Detroit as a metropolis in decline. As such, Western audiences were either hostile or indifferent to the idea of a RoboCop remake, and the 2014 film’s box office returns in those markets reflect that lack of enthusiasm.

However, RoboCop 3D was a tremendous success in China. If you’re thinking to yourself, “Hey, they didn’t release the RoboCop remake in 3D” that’s because they didn’t release it in 3D in your market. Sony believed that China’s obsession with 3D films would help bolster the appeal of RoboCop in that country, and they were absolutely right. RoboCop made $21 million in China over the course of three days. For perspective, RoboCop only made $51 million in the United States over the course of three weekends.

14. Point Break (2015)

To be entirely fair, 1991’s Point Break isn’t a good movie. It was, however, an oddly entertaining film that so happened to star several big names and feature plenty of “so bad, they’re good” elements that elevated its “surfers are also bank robbers” plot to cult classic status. Still, Point Break was entirely a product of its time, and the idea of a remake didn’t really ignite the imagination of global audiences.

China, however, was all-in on 2015’s Point Break. Mind you, it certainly didn’t hurt that the movie opened there before it debuted in America - which was something of an unprecedented occurrence for such a movie - but your guess about why the movie is so popular in China outside of that fact is about as good as ours. Feet to the fire, we’d chalk this one up to the scarcity of international films available in Chinese theaters at the time of Point Break’s release as well as the film’s generic, thus easily translatable, plot and sequences.

13. Men in Black 3

That part of your brain that allows you to forget that there was a third Men in Black movie is likely the same part of your brain that prevents you from doing something like resting your hand on a hot stove. Okay, so the movie isn’t that bad - Men in Black 2 is much worse - but the third film in the Men in Black series is a largely forgettable blockbuster.

When Men in Black 3 debuted in China, the big story was that the Chinese government had decided to cut out several scenes in the movie that depicted Chinese villains. This debate over censorship really distracted everyone from the fact that Men in Black 3 was a tremendous box office success in the country. The film grossed about $75 million in China during its theatrical run, a number that can likely be attributed to the movie’s 3D effects and star power.

12. Skiptrace (A Jackie Chan/Johnny Knoxville Action Film)

Technically, Skiptrace was made available in countries outside of China, but you’re forgiven if this is the first you’ve heard of it. This 2016 action film stars the unlikely duo of Jackie Chan and Johnny Knoxville as a cop and a criminal who must work together to bring down the usual criminals. It’s your standard buddy cop fare, with Jackie Chan as the capable law enforcement officer and Johnny Knoxville as the bumbling American with criminal knowledge. It’s fairly standard stuff.

It’s not hard to see why Skiptrace is so popular in China once you dive into the film’s specifics. It retains the looks and feel of an American blockbuster, but features a heavy influx of Chinese culture and portrays Jackie Chan as the ultimate Chinese action hero. Skiptrace’s play on the Rush Hour set-up proved to be a bonafide box office blockbuster in China, snagging $60 million in its opening weekend there alone.

11. The Mummy

The Mummy’s debut in Western markets surely left Universal pictures wishing that they too had the ability to resurrect the dead. The Mummy got off to a rough start when someone accidentally released that teaser trailer that didn’t include the film’s final audio, but it turns out that that viral video is about as entertaining as the movie gets. The first official film in the Dark Universe series was panned for its generic action, emotionless performances, and general lack of personality. It was pulled from almost 900 theaters in its third week and was expected to be a massive box office bomb.

However, the film was rescued from the deepest pits of financial loss due to the contributions of the Chinese markets. The movie grossed roughly $82 million in China in just ten days. That incredible success is attributed to the movie’s 3D effects (noticing a trend here?), classic adventure themes, and the presence of Tom Cruise. In fact, China is largely responsible for making The Mummy Tom Cruise’s biggest global debut.

10. Ant-Man

Ant-Man's escape from development hell is almost more infamous than the movie itself. Edgar Wright was initially supposed to direct Ant-Man, but the beloved director pulled out of the film following “creative differences.” Given that high-profile directors leaving movies is never a good sign - especially movies based on relatively obscure comic book characters - many feared the worst when Ant-Man debuted in 2015. While Ant-Man wasn’t nearly as successful as other Marvel movies, it was a pretty good overall film that did respectable box office numbers in the West.

China, however, absolutely loved it. What’s particularly surprising about Ant-Man’s success in China is that comedy movies - or movies with heavy comedic elements - typically struggle there, due to the fact that many of the jokes just don’t translate. an Ant-Man sequel.

9. San Andreas

If ever humanity got the urge to put a film that perfectly captures what a standard blockbuster action movie of this era looks like into a time capsule for future generations to find, star power of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Apparently, that star power really flexes its muscles in China. The Rock’s movies tend to do well in China, but San Andreas was an especially big hit in that market. In fact, San Andreas may have grossed more in its first week in China than it did during its debut week in the U.S. (the numbers are up for debate). The point is that CG-fueled action spectacles are always in high demand in China, and San Andreas proved to hit all the notes that market loves to hear.

8. Need for Speed

Close your eyes, turn off your brain, and you can picture the meeting that led to the production of Breaking Bad on their smartphone, and BAM! - you’ve got a car movie starring Aaron Paul. Need for Speed failed to really capture the attention of Western audiences that didn’t latch onto any of its “established” successful elements.

You can probably guess that Need for Speed was a success in China - what with the headline and all - but the extent of the film’s success in that market is pretty astounding. Need for Speed earned over $21 million during its opening weekend in China and $66.2 million overall. Both of those numbers are higher than their U.S. equivalents. Of course, the success of the Fast and the Furious movies in China probably had quite a bit to do with Need for Speed’s warm welcome.

7. The Last Witch Hunter

The story of how The Last Witch Hunter came to be is too nerdy to not be lovable. Apparently, writer Corey Goodman found himself fascinated by Vin Diesel’s stories of playing a witch hunter in Dungeons and Dragons. Goodman felt that such a character would make for a great star of an action movie, so he helped write said action movie. The Last Witch Hunter proved to be a flop in North America, as it failed to find an audience among D&D players or casual filmgoers.

This is another instance of a movie that's success in China can partially be traced back to the success of The Fast and the Furious franchise. Those films made Diesel a big star in the country, and probably ensured that The Last Witch Hunter’s Chinese box office figures (which actually nudged out its domestic tally) helped save the film. It also probably didn’t hurt that the movie’s supernatural elements are something of a rarity in China.