My People, My Homeland, Jiang Ziya: Legend of Deification and Leap lead China’s box office recovery during ‘golden week’

Despite restrictions box office takings on the first four days of the ‘golden week’ holiday reached US$368 million, a 14 per cent decline from last year

Movie ticket sales were also helped by the fact that mainlanders, unable to travel overseas, turned to films for entertainment

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A still from Chinese film My People, My Homeland, which was the top grosser during the first four days of the ‘golden week’ holiday. Photo: Handout

Published: 1:53pm, 6 Oct 2020Updated: 10:16pm, 6 Oct 2020

The fortunes of the global cinema sector have gone in different directions in the past one week. While theatre chains overseas are struggling and battling to survive, box office activity in China is well on the way to recovery, receiving a boost from the “golden week” holiday.

Total box office receipts on the mainland from October 1 to 4 reached 2.5 billion yuan (US$368 million), 14 per cent lower compared with the same period last year, as cinemas are still restricted to 75 per cent capacity, according to data from Maoyan Entertainment, China’s largest movie ticket platform. Movie ticket sales were also helped by the fact that mainlanders, unable to travel overseas, turned to films for entertainment

After the year’s first blockbuster, The Eight Hundred, was well-received in August after an extended delay because of the coronavirus outbreak, cinema operators were anticipating a boost from the pent-up demand during the National Day holiday. The World War II epic was the first Chinese film shot entirely on IMAX cameras.

“The overall performance of the IMAX box office during the National Day holiday has continued to exceed our expectation,” IMAX China said. “Since the theatres reopened, we have observed a strong rebound in demand for movies from our audience.”

The box office success of The Eight Hundred, which was released in August to test moviegoers appetite for films, set the tone for the ‘golden week’ releases. Photo: Handout

While China has become one of Hollywood’s top markets in recent years, local blockbusters led box office takings. My People, My Homeland, a patriotic omnibus comprising five stories, was the top grosser, raking in 1.3 billion yuan (US$191 million) by Monday.

Animated feature Jiang Ziya: Legend of Deification, based on an ancient Chinese mythology, mopped up 1.1 billion yuan.