Chinese box office exceeds RMB 5.4 bn after cinemas reopen

A total of 150 million visits were made by Chinese moviegoers since the cinemas reopened on July 20, with the total box office of RMB 5.4 billion (US$800 million), according to a report released on Tuesday (Sept. 22).

The report, jointly issued by film analytics platform Dengta and online booking platform Taopiaopiao of the Alibaba Pictures, shows that domestic films such as The Eight Hundred and Love You Forever contributed more to the box office earnings compared to the imported films such as Tenet and Mulan.

The two films made RMB 2.9 billion and RMB 500 million, respectively, which helped drive the market out of the lockdown setback. The former has made into the top 10 chart of all-time box office earnings in the Chinese cinematic history.

The report also said the generation born after 1995 comprise the main chunk of moviegoers, accounting for 33 percent of all. The post-95 generation enjoys midnight films more than other generations, and they bought more than 30 percent of the midnight tickets.

Obviously, they also enjoy collecting posters. During the re-screening of the classic film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, their purchase of the posters was 20 percent higher than the post-85s.

The report also showed that collective film-watching is 6 percent lower than last year's figure with the pandemic containment measures in place.

A number of new films are expected to hit the big screens in the upcoming National Day holiday, such as Leap, My People, My Homeland and Coffee or Tea? With the limit on moviegoers' number lifted to 75 percent of the venue capacity, the market is looking forward to another leap.

(Source: CGTN)