Chinese film '731' on Japan WWII unit pulls in $42m on opening day

Account of biological weapons program off to strong start but draws mixed reviews

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Moviegoers line up to watch "731" at a cinema in Zaozhuang, in China's Shandong province, on Sept. 18.

WATARU SUZUKI

SHANGHAI -- A Chinese movie about Japan's biological weapons program during its occupation of Manchuria through World War II raked in 345 million yuan ($42.2 million) on its opening day, after movie theaters across China held a record number of screenings.

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