Box Office
On Screen China: 2016 Opens With a Record Weekend
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%
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
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
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
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
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
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’
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
‘Martian,’ ‘Point Break’ Deliver 1-2 Import Punch to Four New Chinese Films
Director Ridley Scott’s sci-fi survival saga The Martian held on to its lead at China’s box office for a second weekend, grossing $13.7 million and pushing up its overall take to $75.1 million after 12 days in theaters. The 20th Century Fox film narrowly edged out Alcon Entertainment’s extreme sports action film Point Break, which Read More
On Screen China: Can ‘Point Break’ Ride Out the Crowded Weekend?
China’s booming box office hit another milestone Thursday afternoon, passing RMB 40 billion ($6.25 billion) for the first time ever in a calendar year. All 12 months of 2014 produced a box office gross of RMB 29.6 billion. December could add an additional RMB 4 billion – 5 billion to the 2015 gross with the release of Read More