China has brought the figures, and it has brought the films to this year’s AFM as the country pushes the positive narrative of an industry in recovery from the woes of the past few years thanks to diverse content and a post-pandemic audience hungry for entertainment.
All told, there have been 40 Chinese film companies involved and more than 100 Chinese films showcased at AFM’s China Film Pavilion, providing an insight into an industry that has over the past few months inched its way ever closer to the record box office figures that were being enjoyed back in 2019.
The box office report released last week by film and cinema industry watchers Artisan Gateway for the Oct. 20-22 weekend showed revenue of just below $40 million, which was 11.9 percent down compared with the same period in 2019, but up 76.5 percent from the same weekend in 2022.
On top for the weekend was the slow-burn...
All told, there have been 40 Chinese film companies involved and more than 100 Chinese films showcased at AFM’s China Film Pavilion, providing an insight into an industry that has over the past few months inched its way ever closer to the record box office figures that were being enjoyed back in 2019.
The box office report released last week by film and cinema industry watchers Artisan Gateway for the Oct. 20-22 weekend showed revenue of just below $40 million, which was 11.9 percent down compared with the same period in 2019, but up 76.5 percent from the same weekend in 2022.
On top for the weekend was the slow-burn...
- 11/2/2023
- by Mathew Scott
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
With its two adorable bears, this formulaic kids’ tale tells its environmentally conscious story with plenty of warmth but few surprises
The ninth feature in a hugely popular Chinese animated series directed by Lin Yongchang and Shao Heqi, Boonie Bears: Guardian Code is also the franchise’s highest-grossing film, second behind The Wandering Earth 2 as the biggest Chinese film of 2023 so far. With its two main characters Bramble and Briar, adorable bears who were abandoned by their mother in a forest fire, this environmentally conscious adventure is an entertaining, if rather formulaic, ride.
For lovers of cute animals, the CGI designs of the brothers are quite lovely and detailed, though not exactly distinctive. Goofy and optimistic Bramble believes that their mother is out there searching for them, but Briar holds no such hope. However, a chance encounter with Charlotte, an aspiring scientist, promises a new clue that would lead...
The ninth feature in a hugely popular Chinese animated series directed by Lin Yongchang and Shao Heqi, Boonie Bears: Guardian Code is also the franchise’s highest-grossing film, second behind The Wandering Earth 2 as the biggest Chinese film of 2023 so far. With its two main characters Bramble and Briar, adorable bears who were abandoned by their mother in a forest fire, this environmentally conscious adventure is an entertaining, if rather formulaic, ride.
For lovers of cute animals, the CGI designs of the brothers are quite lovely and detailed, though not exactly distinctive. Goofy and optimistic Bramble believes that their mother is out there searching for them, but Briar holds no such hope. However, a chance encounter with Charlotte, an aspiring scientist, promises a new clue that would lead...
- 5/22/2023
- by Phuong Le
- The Guardian - Film News
Profits Warning Follows Box Office Slide
Maoyan, the Chinese film ticketing agency and film distribution company, has issued a warning that profits for 2022 are set to take a steep dive. Revenue for last year is expected to come in at RMB2.27 billion and RMB2.37 billion, representing a decrease of up to 31% compared with 2021. Profit attributable to the owners of the company will range between approximately RMB70 million and RMB120 million, representing a decrease of approximately 67% to 81% compared with attributable profit in 2021, which had been RMB369 million. The company’s fortunes are closely allied to the trend of the mainland Chinese box office. Nationwide theatrical grosses took a huge tumble in the second half of the year as the government stepped up its battle against the Covid outbreak, causing the full year box office to fall by 36%.
The company is now trying to diversify away from cinema ticketing with moves into distribution and production.
Maoyan, the Chinese film ticketing agency and film distribution company, has issued a warning that profits for 2022 are set to take a steep dive. Revenue for last year is expected to come in at RMB2.27 billion and RMB2.37 billion, representing a decrease of up to 31% compared with 2021. Profit attributable to the owners of the company will range between approximately RMB70 million and RMB120 million, representing a decrease of approximately 67% to 81% compared with attributable profit in 2021, which had been RMB369 million. The company’s fortunes are closely allied to the trend of the mainland Chinese box office. Nationwide theatrical grosses took a huge tumble in the second half of the year as the government stepped up its battle against the Covid outbreak, causing the full year box office to fall by 36%.
The company is now trying to diversify away from cinema ticketing with moves into distribution and production.
- 2/28/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Hong Kong courtroom drama film “A Guilty Conscience” edged aside Chinese and Hollywood tentpole films to top the mainland China box office in its opening weekend.
According to data from consultancy service Artisan Gateway, the film earned $8.5 million (RMB58.4 million) in its opening three days between Friday and Sunday.
“The Wandering Earth 2,” which has been in cinemas for over a month, earned $7.4 million to elevate its cumulative total to $568 million.
“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” which opened on top a week earlier, collected $7.0 million, giving it a 10-day cumulative of $31.4 million.
Zhang Yimou’s “Full River Red” placed fourth with $5.5 million over its sixth weekend. Its cumulative since Jan. 22 now stands at $648 million.
Bring up fifth place was another Lunar New Year release, “Boonie Bears: Guardian Code” with $3.9 million over the weekend, good for a cumulative of $207 million.
The weekend total box office was a modest $39.6 million, the smallest...
According to data from consultancy service Artisan Gateway, the film earned $8.5 million (RMB58.4 million) in its opening three days between Friday and Sunday.
“The Wandering Earth 2,” which has been in cinemas for over a month, earned $7.4 million to elevate its cumulative total to $568 million.
“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” which opened on top a week earlier, collected $7.0 million, giving it a 10-day cumulative of $31.4 million.
Zhang Yimou’s “Full River Red” placed fourth with $5.5 million over its sixth weekend. Its cumulative since Jan. 22 now stands at $648 million.
Bring up fifth place was another Lunar New Year release, “Boonie Bears: Guardian Code” with $3.9 million over the weekend, good for a cumulative of $207 million.
The weekend total box office was a modest $39.6 million, the smallest...
- 2/27/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
“Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” topped the box office chart in mainland China on its opening weekend, with a 19.4 million start. But the much-discussed arrival of the Marvel movie was weak compared its franchise predecessor. And its debut was not enough to reignite the China box office market.
The film arrived in a fashion that was adequately signalled for marketing purposes. And it opened on a date that was coordinated with the North American and other international debuts. In the context of the Chinese market, the film also had the advantage of landing at a time when the big, Chinese-made, Lunar New Year titles were losing their power.
Data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway showed “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” earning RMB132 million in local currency terms (or 19.4 million). That is a less than a third of the 68.2 million that the earlier “Ant-Man and the Wasp” earned in China on its opening weekend,...
The film arrived in a fashion that was adequately signalled for marketing purposes. And it opened on a date that was coordinated with the North American and other international debuts. In the context of the Chinese market, the film also had the advantage of landing at a time when the big, Chinese-made, Lunar New Year titles were losing their power.
Data from consultancy firm Artisan Gateway showed “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” earning RMB132 million in local currency terms (or 19.4 million). That is a less than a third of the 68.2 million that the earlier “Ant-Man and the Wasp” earned in China on its opening weekend,...
- 2/20/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Mainland China’s cinema box office slowed to a lukewarm 75 million nationwide total over the weekend as theaters awaited new titles to replace the blockbusters that dominated January’s Lunar New Year holiday season.
Sci-fi thriller “The Wandering Earth 2” held on to the top spot for the second weekend with a 24.5 million haul between Friday and Sunday, according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway.
It was the second weekend that it managed to hold off the Zhang Yimou-directed “Full River Red,” which earlier topped the Lunar New Year charts and is the highest grossing film of the year. Over the latest weekend, “Full River Red” earned 18.9 million.
Both titles were released on Jan 22. “Full River Red” now has a cumulative of 624 million. “The Wandering Earth 2” has a running total of 538 million.
They were followed by Chinese animation “Boonie Bears: Guardian Code,” which earned 9 million over the weekend,...
Sci-fi thriller “The Wandering Earth 2” held on to the top spot for the second weekend with a 24.5 million haul between Friday and Sunday, according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway.
It was the second weekend that it managed to hold off the Zhang Yimou-directed “Full River Red,” which earlier topped the Lunar New Year charts and is the highest grossing film of the year. Over the latest weekend, “Full River Red” earned 18.9 million.
Both titles were released on Jan 22. “Full River Red” now has a cumulative of 624 million. “The Wandering Earth 2” has a running total of 538 million.
They were followed by Chinese animation “Boonie Bears: Guardian Code,” which earned 9 million over the weekend,...
- 2/13/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
M Night Shyamalan’s latest thriller knocked ‘Avatar: The Way Of Water’ off the number one spot in North America.
World box office February 3-5 RankFilm (distributor)3-day (world) Cume (world)3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. The Wandering Earth 2 (various) 57.2m 501.5m 57.2m 498m 6 2. Full River Red (various) 50.2m 586.6m 50.2m 586.6m 2 3. Avatar: The Way Of Water (Disney) 38.7m 2.17bn 27.9m 1.54bn 61 4. Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (Universal) 25.1m 368.6m 17.1m 217.3m 81 5. Knock At The Cabin (Universal) 21.2m 21.2m 7m 17m 61 6. Boonie Bears: The Guardian Code (various) 21.1m 185.3m 21.1m 185.3m 1 7. BTS: Yet To Come In Cinemas...
World box office February 3-5 RankFilm (distributor)3-day (world) Cume (world)3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. The Wandering Earth 2 (various) 57.2m 501.5m 57.2m 498m 6 2. Full River Red (various) 50.2m 586.6m 50.2m 586.6m 2 3. Avatar: The Way Of Water (Disney) 38.7m 2.17bn 27.9m 1.54bn 61 4. Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (Universal) 25.1m 368.6m 17.1m 217.3m 81 5. Knock At The Cabin (Universal) 21.2m 21.2m 7m 17m 61 6. Boonie Bears: The Guardian Code (various) 21.1m 185.3m 21.1m 185.3m 1 7. BTS: Yet To Come In Cinemas...
- 2/6/2023
- by Charles Gant
- ScreenDaily
Cinemas in mainland China remained busy over the latest weekend even a week after the end of the Lunar New Year holiday season and with few significant new release titles.
Aggregate nationwide box office hit 162 million according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway. And “The Wandering Earth 2” reclaimed the top spot that it lost on the second day of the holiday period, which officially ran Jan. 21-27.
“The Wandering Earth 2” earned 56.4 million between Friday and Saturday. That gives the sci-fi prequel a running total of 502 million since release on Jan. 22.
“Full River Red” a historical drama directed by the veteran Zhang Yimou, earned 50.1 million over the weekend for a cumulative of 595 million, also since Jan. 22. That is the highest box office performance by one of Zhang’s movies.
In third place, “Boonie Bears: Guardian Code” earned 21 million for a running total of 188 million. That is the highest total...
Aggregate nationwide box office hit 162 million according to data from consultancy Artisan Gateway. And “The Wandering Earth 2” reclaimed the top spot that it lost on the second day of the holiday period, which officially ran Jan. 21-27.
“The Wandering Earth 2” earned 56.4 million between Friday and Saturday. That gives the sci-fi prequel a running total of 502 million since release on Jan. 22.
“Full River Red” a historical drama directed by the veteran Zhang Yimou, earned 50.1 million over the weekend for a cumulative of 595 million, also since Jan. 22. That is the highest box office performance by one of Zhang’s movies.
In third place, “Boonie Bears: Guardian Code” earned 21 million for a running total of 188 million. That is the highest total...
- 2/6/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The Hindi-language thriller made 41.8m in its first five days in India.
World box office January 27-29 Rank Film (distributor) 3-day (world) Cume (world) 3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Full River Red (various) 144.3m 466m 144.3m 466m 1 2. The Wandering Earth 2 (various) 106.2m 382.7m 104.9m 380m 7 3. Avatar: The Way Of Water (Disney) 58.1m 2.12bn 42.4m 1.5bn 53 4. Pathaan (various) 53.8m 67.8m 47.9m 59.3m 100 5. Boonie Bears: Guardian Code (various) 43.7m 136.4m 43.7m 136.4m 1 6. Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (Universal) 25m 334.1m 14.3m 193.3m 80 7. Hidden Blade (various) 22.3m 85.8m 22.3m 85.8m 1 8. Deep Sea (various) 21.5m 66.6m 21.5m 66.6m 1 9. M3GAN (Universal...
World box office January 27-29 Rank Film (distributor) 3-day (world) Cume (world) 3-day (int’l) Cume (int’l) Territories 1. Full River Red (various) 144.3m 466m 144.3m 466m 1 2. The Wandering Earth 2 (various) 106.2m 382.7m 104.9m 380m 7 3. Avatar: The Way Of Water (Disney) 58.1m 2.12bn 42.4m 1.5bn 53 4. Pathaan (various) 53.8m 67.8m 47.9m 59.3m 100 5. Boonie Bears: Guardian Code (various) 43.7m 136.4m 43.7m 136.4m 1 6. Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (Universal) 25m 334.1m 14.3m 193.3m 80 7. Hidden Blade (various) 22.3m 85.8m 22.3m 85.8m 1 8. Deep Sea (various) 21.5m 66.6m 21.5m 66.6m 1 9. M3GAN (Universal...
- 1/30/2023
- by Charles Gant
- ScreenDaily
After three long years of pandemic drift and deterioration, China’s movie box office was back in booming form over the weeklong Lunar New Year holiday. Total ticket sales over the six-day festive period, China’s most lucrative moviegoing window of the year, climbed to 993.8 million this year, up 14 percent from the equivalent stretch in 2019, the last holiday prior to the pandemic. This year’s bonanza also easily topped the 2022 Lunar New Year, which brought in 888.2 million.
The strong comeback at the Chinese multiplex was one of several encouraging indicators of economic recovery during the holiday, as Chinese consumers returned en masse to restaurants, tourist sites and entertainment venues, breathing a collective sigh of relief after the abrupt exit from Beijing’s restrictive “Covid zero” policy late last year. The box office rebound is being read as welcome news by international investors as well as film executives, with many economists...
The strong comeback at the Chinese multiplex was one of several encouraging indicators of economic recovery during the holiday, as Chinese consumers returned en masse to restaurants, tourist sites and entertainment venues, breathing a collective sigh of relief after the abrupt exit from Beijing’s restrictive “Covid zero” policy late last year. The box office rebound is being read as welcome news by international investors as well as film executives, with many economists...
- 1/30/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Chinese New Year holidays have brought back scenes not seen in mainland China cinemas for a year – a slew of new release titles and crowds to match.
Few records will be broken. But after several months of desertification, the flood of returning cinema-goers may be a relief to the wider industry.
The holiday period, marked by family reunions, began on Saturday. New releases of some of the year’s most anticipated films followed on Sunday.
Most prominent among these were “The Wandering Earth 2,” a prequel to a massive sci-fi hit from 2019 and historical suspense comedy “Full River Red,” from Zhang Yimou.
Claiming top spot, “The Wandering Earth 2” earned close to 71 million on its opening day ahead of “Full River Red” which earned just shy of 60 million. Third, fourth and fifth places belonged to a trio of next and neck performances by World War II spy thriller “Hidden Blade” with 20.4 million,...
Few records will be broken. But after several months of desertification, the flood of returning cinema-goers may be a relief to the wider industry.
The holiday period, marked by family reunions, began on Saturday. New releases of some of the year’s most anticipated films followed on Sunday.
Most prominent among these were “The Wandering Earth 2,” a prequel to a massive sci-fi hit from 2019 and historical suspense comedy “Full River Red,” from Zhang Yimou.
Claiming top spot, “The Wandering Earth 2” earned close to 71 million on its opening day ahead of “Full River Red” which earned just shy of 60 million. Third, fourth and fifth places belonged to a trio of next and neck performances by World War II spy thriller “Hidden Blade” with 20.4 million,...
- 1/25/2023
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
China’s Lunar New Year box office got off to a solid start Sunday despite ongoing concerns over the Covid wave sweeping the country. An especially strong and diverse slate of local holiday blockbusters is giving the Chinese film industry the boost it so desperately needs after a prolonged period of market damage during last year’s lockdowns.
Frank Guo’s big-budget sci-fi spectacle The Wandering Earth 2, starring Wu Jing and Andy Lau, rocketed to the front of the pack with a 69.7 million opening day, according to data from tracking firm Artisan Gateway. But Chinese filmmaking legend Zhang Yimou’s latest feature, Full River Red, a period comedy thriller, was close behind with a strong 59.3 million start. Both films have been enthusiastically received— Full River Red has social scores of 9.6 on Maoyan, 9.5 on Alibaba’s Tao Piao Piao app and 8 from Douban, while Wandering Earth 2 sits at 9.4, 9.7 and 8.3, respectively — suggesting that a close,...
Frank Guo’s big-budget sci-fi spectacle The Wandering Earth 2, starring Wu Jing and Andy Lau, rocketed to the front of the pack with a 69.7 million opening day, according to data from tracking firm Artisan Gateway. But Chinese filmmaking legend Zhang Yimou’s latest feature, Full River Red, a period comedy thriller, was close behind with a strong 59.3 million start. Both films have been enthusiastically received— Full River Red has social scores of 9.6 on Maoyan, 9.5 on Alibaba’s Tao Piao Piao app and 8 from Douban, while Wandering Earth 2 sits at 9.4, 9.7 and 8.3, respectively — suggesting that a close,...
- 1/23/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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