Summer box office record high, China's film market blooms with new vitality Watching | Movies | Market

This summer, Chinese movies are very popular.

According to the latest statistics from the National Film Administration, as of 7:00 pm on August 18th, this year's summer box office has reached a historic high of 17.8 billion yuan. On the same day, the total box office of this year's film market also exceeded 40 billion yuan. Chinese films continue to ride the waves and stand at a new starting point of strong recovery.

Diverse types of domestic films stand out and gain popularity

Posters for "Chang'an 30000 Miles", "Fengshen Part 1", and "All for One". Provided by Fang Fang

Following the journey of "Three Thousand Miles in Chang'an" to the prosperous era of the Tang Dynasty, experiencing the thrilling epic mythology in "The First Part of Fengshen", and learning the tricks of preventing telecom fraud from "All in One"... This summer's film series covers a variety of themes such as plot, action, animation, suspense, comedy, etc., not only meeting the viewing needs of audiences of different age groups, but also being well received and well received.

Although there have been multiple imported films released this summer, domestic films have a clear advantage in leading the way. As of now, the market share of domestic films has exceeded 80%, and the top six summer ticket houses are all domestic films. "The Disappearing She" is currently at the top of the box office chart, while "All in One", "In the Octagonal Cage", "The First Episode of Fengshen", "Three Thousand Miles in Chang'an", and "Passionate" are currently at the second to sixth positions. Among them, four films have grossed over 2 billion yuan at the box office.

While the total box office of the movie reached a historic high, the total number of viewers during the 2023 summer season also exceeded 435 million. The diverse themes and genres provide rich viewing options, continuously stimulating the audience's enthusiasm for watching movies. With a large amount of "tap water" promotion, more and more audiences are attracted to enter the cinema.

"The performance of this year's summer season has exceeded many people's expectations, and the entire film industry is experiencing recovery growth, with multiple films playing a key driving role." According to Rao Shuguang, President of the China Film Critics Society, this year's summer season not only includes top tier films, but also more waist and mid budget films, making the development of the film market more balanced.

Innovative expression arouses audience's cultural identity

"Do you not see the water of the Yellow River rising from the sky, rushing to the sea without returning?" "We are born to be useful, and even after a thousand pieces of gold have been scattered, we will return." "There are times when the wind and waves break through, and we will sail straight to the vast sea." 168 minutes and 48 Tang poems, "Three Thousand Miles in Chang'an" showcases the dynamic and magnificent "Chinese style romance" with magnificent visuals. Many viewers cannot help but watch and recite along in the cinema.

"Tang poetry is the spiritual home of every Chinese person, just like it is integrated into our blood and genes. The recognition of Chinese culture by young people makes us believe that the rise of domestic animated films is not only a slogan, but also the present and future," said Yu Zhou, the producer and CEO of Chasing Light Animation for "Three Thousand Miles in Chang'an"

It is not just "Three Thousand Miles in Chang'an" that ignites the heat of traditional culture during the summer. Fengshen Part One has made a contemporary adaptation of traditional IP and presented it with special effects in a heavy industrial aesthetic style, which has also given many viewers a refreshing feeling.

In the view of director Ulsan of "Fengshen Part One", "Fengshen Romance", a well-known mythological story in China, contains profound cultural information and classic value. "Why are Chinese people willing to tell stories from generation to generation? What is the most essential and core thing in the story? Understanding these issues is important because it is the spiritual gene of our Chinese nation."

At the same time, several real-life films in the summer season have also attracted attention: "The Disappearing She" has a fascinating twist of "suspense+crime", "In the Octagonal Cage" focuses on the tenacious struggle stories of children in the mountains, and "All in One" adaptations of real fraud cases have sparked discussions

Industry insiders believe that this year's summer films are rooted in the soil of reality and cultural heritage. With solid stories and sincere production, they have resonated and resonated with audiences, reflecting the high-quality development achievements of domestic films in recent years and the increasing cultural confidence of audiences.

Boosting confidence in the promising future of Chinese cinema

From the well performing Spring Festival, May Day, and Dragon Boat Festival seasons to the currently hot summer season, the Chinese film market has steadily recovered since the beginning of this year, with important seasons playing a strong driving role, and a series of impressive data boosting industry confidence. Excellent film quality has become a necessary condition for gaining popularity.

At the same time, the flashy marketing of movies such as point shows, roadshows, and exhibitions has also attracted a lot of attention. "In the Octagonal Cage" and "All in One" have successively broken the record for box office sales at the box office, and have achieved significant results in marketing on short video platforms; The creators of films such as "The First Episode of the Goddess", "The Passionate", and "The Disappearing She" have been tirelessly performing on roadshows in various places and organizing various related activities to enhance the sense of viewing ceremony.

The constantly released behind the scenes stories and real-time feedback from the live audience have helped the movie gain popularity and accelerated its word-of-mouth fermentation. The film market consumption not only enriches people's spiritual and cultural life, but also makes positive contributions to economic and social development.

Next, several films such as "Remembering and Forgetting", "The Last Truth", and "The Pursuit of the Jedi" will make their debut in this summer's season. The National Day season is also on the rise, which will continue to provide audiences with diverse viewing options and is expected to continue to push the box office of Chinese films to new heights this year.