Headlines from China: China Now Has Over 10,000 Movie Theaters

China Now Has Over 10,000 Movie Theaters

Recently, the number of movie theaters in China exceeded 10,000. In addition, this year’s China box office has totaled 50 billion yuan as of October 4 and will likely cross 60 billion yuan by the end of the year. While the numbers look pretty, this article raises concerns over China’s film exhibition sector. According to industry insiders, the number of movie theaters actually didn’t grow as fast as it could have due to the fact that quite a number of movie theaters closed shops every year. Without focusing on programming and audience experience, some developers build movie theaters for quick cash but fail to sustain the business. Read more on yuleguan 001

Tencent’s Struggle In The Short-video Market

According to data released by China’s Census Bureau, the number of internet users reached 772 million in 2017 and the number of mobile internet users reached 753 million. The average time Chinese people spend on the internet is about 3.8 hours per day. As the internet market is more and more saturated, the room for growth will also become increasingly limited, which inevitably concerns internet companies, such as Tencent. Another fact that will likely concern Tencent is that the time Chinese netizens spend on short video apps is rapidly increasing while the time they spend on instant messaging is decreasing. Tencent is a dominant force in various entertainment sectors, but hasn’t been able to conquer the short-video market. Currently, Douyin and Kuaishou are the two most popular short-video apps in China. Both Douyin and Kuaishou have clear brand images and target audience groups. Meanwhile, Tencent’s Weishi seems to be having a hard time developing a clear image and loyal following. Read more on TMT Post

Jackie Chan Got Ride of The “Box Office Poison”Label Thanks to This Film

1978 is an important year for Jackie Chan. This year, two films that starred him were released. One of them is Drunken Master. Chan was in his 20s and most of his previous films were box office bombs at that point. He was even labeled box office poison. However, Drunken Master received wide success across Asia and brought Chan not only financial rewards but also and future opportunities. After Drunken Master, Jackie Chan starred in a number of box office hits, such as Project A and Police Story, and became one of the most bankable stars in Hong Kong. This year, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of Drunken Master. Read more on Mtime