"Aftershock," a movie about the devastating Tangshan earthquake in 1976, grossed over 34 million yuan (5 million U.S. dollars) at the Chinese box office on its debut Thursday, a record for a local movie on debut day, the State Administration of Radio Film and Television said Friday.

The record was previously held by "Red Cliff," which took in 27 million yuan on the Chinese mainland on its debut in January 2009.

"Red Cliff" was a war movie set in a turbulent time in Chinese history.

Still, "Aftershock" is still behind Hollywood blockbuster "Avatar," which earned 36 million yuan on the Chinese mainland on its opening day in January 2010.

The extraordinary earnings of "Aftershock" on its opening day have bolstered director Feng Xiaogang's expectations his movie will earn more than 500 million at the local box office.

"If it is to exceed 500 million yuan, the box office has to top 100 million yuan in its first three days. The box office will be better on the weekend," said Feng, one of China's most successful commercial directors.

If it does earn more than 500 million yuan, the movie will easily surpass the current best-selling local movie, "The Founding of a Republic," which earned 420 million yuan. "The Founding of a Republic" was a movie marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

At a popular movie theater in central Beijing Friday morning, only the seats closest to the screen were not occupied for the day's first screening of "Aftershock." Most of the moviegoers at the session had booked the tickets beforehand.

"Aftershock" is about a mother's three-decade journey to an emotional reunion with the daughter she thought she had lost in the earthquake.

The Tangshan earthquake left more than 240,000 dead.