Kwok is crackers for his latest role

Rob 'n' Roll, in which Hong Kong superstar Aaron Kwok plays a toothy bandit, has emerged as one of the highest-grossing domestic films over the weekend.

Since its release on Jan 19, the movie has earned around 90 million yuan ($12.5 million), making it the highest-grossing film on the single-day box office charts over the weekend, following the hit comedy, Johnny Keep Walking!

With Albert Mak as director and veteran filmmaker Derek Yee as executive producer, the movie stars Kwok as a ruthless thief, who devises a grand heist. However, his plan takes an unexpected turn when it is disrupted by two frustrated middle-aged men — a taxi driver and a social worker. This leads to a series of comedic moments, as the unlikely trio are forced to evade both the police and other criminals.

During the premiere in Beijing earlier this month, Kwok, who is normally known for his portrayal of handsome characters, said that he found the script refreshing to read. "As an actor, I always seek a chance to make a breakthrough in my performance. I have never been in a dark comedy before," he said.

"Additionally, I have played many serious roles, including police officers. When imagined myself as a bandit, I immediately pictured a toothy guy who smiled at me and said, 'thank you'. So, I suggested to the director that my role be created with this kind of image in mind," he added.

The movie has so far received a high score of 9.1 points out of 10 on Taopiaopiao, one of the country's largest ticketing services.