(Photo/Yangcheng Evening News)

Pokémon Detective Pikachu, an animated video game adaptation, has become a hit at the Chinese box office, outperforming Marvel's "Avengers: Endgame" and Oscar-winning "Roma", Chinanews.com reported on May 13.

The film topped the box office for three days in a row after debuting on May 10.

By 5:00 p.m. on May 12, the box office revenue in China had hit 258 million yuan ($40 million), and it is expected to reach 600 million according to Maoyan, a major Chinese film database.

The movie's hero, Pikachu, speaks like a middle-aged man, but audiences of all ages love the furry yellow creature with a lightning-bolt tail, a childhood memory for many.

Besides Pikachu, many other Pokemon characters appear in the animated film, and the themed anime products will sell well, said Zhang Miao, marketing manager of Beijing-based Guang'anmen Cinema.