This summer, China's box office revenue soared to 11.2 billion yuan (approximately $1.6 billion), marking a significant milestone for the local film industry. According to box office tracker Dengta Data, domestic productions took the lion's share of audiences, outpacing Hollywood imports.
Leading the charge were homegrown hits like Successor and A Place Called Silence, which secured top positions among the season's most-watched films. Among international releases, the Hollywood sci-fi thriller Alien: Romulus stood out by earning over 550 million yuan since its August 16 debut, becoming the highest-grossing imported film of the summer. Impressively, its performance in China surpassed its North American box office, making it the world's largest.
However, Hollywood's presence in China's box office remained modest overall. By the end of August, only Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire broke into China's 2024 top 10, ranking eighth, while other major blockbusters typically garnered between 100 million and 500 million yuan.
The shift towards domestic films is evident as high-quality local productions continue to captivate audiences with diverse genres. From hilarious comedies and gripping crime thrillers to animated tales of Chinese folklore and innovative art films, the variety caters to all age groups. Notable releases include the animated feature White Snake: Afloat, which reimagines a classic mythological love story, and Decoded, a visually stunning adaptation of Mai Jia's novel that delves into a world of numbers, codes, and dreams.
Moviegoers have embraced this diversity, with one attendee sharing, \"This summer's movies offered me plenty of choices; there were comedies perfect for family viewing and action films that really got us young people fired up. All of them were fantastic.\"
Reference(s):
China's summer box office hits $1.6b, local films take lion's share
cgtn.com
