Jonathan Papish |

On Screen China: The Force Flags in Opening Weekend

Jan 11, 2016 / Box Office /

After months of a Disney marketing blitz targeting an audience largely unfamiliar with the franchise, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (星球大战：原力觉醒) debuted in China on Saturday, and grossed a two-day estimated total of $52.7 million. Read More

On Screen China: The ‘Star Wars’ Force Is Strong for the Future

Jan 7, 2016 / Box Office /

Star Wars: The Force Awakens will finally invade Chinese theaters this Saturday, January 9 and the hype is at a fever pitch — in Hollywood. However, the tone in mainland China has been more muted, especially in interior cities where the franchise comes nowhere near being the cultural phenomenon it is in other countries. Read More

On Screen China: 2016 Opens With a Record Weekend

Jan 4, 2016 / Box Office /

After China’s roaring box office posted nearly 50% growth in 2015 over the previous year, moviegoers in the world’s second largest film market rang in 2016 with more record-shattering numbers. Read More

On Screen China: Booming Box Office Ends 2015 Up 48.7%

Dec 31, 2015 / Box Office /

In 2015, China’s booming box office grew an incredible 48.7% to reach a record $6.8 billion (RMB 44.07 billion) according to a statement released late Thursday by SARFT (State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television). The yearly growth was the second highest since China’s modern film industry began to develop in 2004, second Read More

On Screen China: Appealing to the Lowest Common Denominator

Dec 28, 2015 / Box Office /

Actor-director Deng Chao was accused of pushing Chinese comedy “to a new low in terms of racist and homophobic humor” after Deng himself donned blackface in last year’s The Breakup Guru, yet that film still managed to haul in $103 million from Chinese moviegoers. Read More

On Screen China: Christmas Eve Date Night at the Movies

Dec 24, 2015 / Box Office /

After a quiet start to the annual Chinese box office “New Year’s period” (贺岁档)—just $212 million grossed during the first 17 days of December—ticket sales exploded last weekend as homegrown blockbuster Mojin—The Lost Legend (寻龙诀) debuted with a record $93 million. Mojin will continue its trek this weekend as it attempts to topple Monster Hunt as the highest-grossing film of all-time in China. But the distributors of two new releases will try to take advantage of the considerable space left over in the market by an underwhelming run from Surprise (万万没想到). Read More

On Screen China: ‘Mojin’ Racks Up the Box Office Records

Dec 21, 2015 / Box Office /

While the rest of the world flocked to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Chinese moviegoers instead rushed to catch a homegrown blockbuster, Mojin—The Lost Legend (寻龙诀), buying tickets worth $91.9 million in just three days and helping the film from Wanda Pictures, Enlight Pictures, and Huayi Brothers to set several box office records for Chinese-language films. As predicted, Mojin and runner-up Surprise (万万没想到)—which grossed a modest $22.9 million over the three-day weekend—completely dominated China’s box office, accounting for a weekend market share of over 96%. Read More

On Screen China: ‘Mojin’ Boasts Major Mojo

Dec 17, 2015 / Box Office /

Get ready for an unprecedented weekend at the global box office, with a twist in China. While North America and the rest of planet Earth prepare for the outbreak of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Chinese audiences will be flocking to theaters for what is almost certain to be the highest-grossing weekend in the history Read More

On Screen China: ‘Surprise’!—Low-Budget Web Series Adaptation Wins the Weekend

Dec 14, 2015 / Box Office /

Surprise (万万没想到)—a low-budget comedy based on a popular web series set for official release next Friday, December 18—stormed into theaters early last weekend, netting $17.3 million from its Friday and Saturday preview screenings, while Hollywood holdovers Point Break ($30.4 million total) and The Martian ($86.9 million total) both withstood a barrage of 15 new releases, hanging on Read More

On Screen China: A Busy Weekend of Theatrical ‘Cannon Fodder’

Dec 10, 2015 / Box Office /

A whopping 15 new films will be cast into Chinese theaters this weekend, representing the largest number of new releases within such a short time frame this year. Such a crowded calendar would be more typically seen in the United States, which had about twice the number of releases as China last year, and represents a relatively Read More

Jonathan Papish