New films debuting during China's upcoming Spring Festival holiday have collectively surpassed 1 billion yuan ($138 million) in total pre-sales as of Tuesday afternoon, marking a significant milestone since pre-sales began over a week ago.
This year's cinematic lineup showcases unprecedented diversity, with the top five pre-selling titles spanning genres such as wuxia (martial arts), mythology, animation, suspense, and action. The average runtime of these films exceeds 137 minutes, setting a new record for the longest average duration in the history of Chinese New Year cinema. Meanwhile, the minimum ticket prices for most blockbusters remain consistent with last year's rates.
The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Great Hero has swiftly surged ahead, leading the chart by surpassing 100 million yuan in pre-sales. Other highly anticipated titles, including Ne Zha 2, Detective Chinatown 1900, Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force, and Operation Hadal, have each exceeded 20 million yuan in pre-sales.
Data indicates that over 25% of tickets purchased on the first day of pre-sales were for groups of three or more viewers—a 5% increase compared to last year, according to Wang Shu, a film data analyst from China Media Group. \"This suggests that films during this year's Spring Festival season hold stronger appeal for family or group outings,\" Wang noted.
Wei Pengju, dean of the Culture Economics Institute at the Central University of Finance and Economics, highlighted that many films in this year's Spring Festival lineup are based on established intellectual property (IP). \"The Guochao (China-chic) trend has amplified movie market consumption,\" Wei explained. \"Whether through traditional cultural themes or patriotic narratives, films infused with Guochao elements attract audiences not just to watch a movie, but to experience and affirm cultural identity.\"
However, traditional cultural elements alone are not enough to draw audiences into theaters. High-quality production, made possible by the rapid advancement of the entire cultural industry chain, is also crucial. Hu Ruiyan, deputy director of the Qingdao West Coast New Area Film and Television Industry Development Center, emphasized that advancements in special effects technology and the widespread application of AI-generated content (AIGC) are reshaping the film ecosystem—from pre-visualization and production to the viewing experience itself. \"These innovations are redefining modern cinematic storytelling,\" Hu added.
Reference(s):
China's Spring Festival box office pre-sales surpass 1 billion yuan
cgtn.com
