China BO exceeds RMB17 billion

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Industry News

Box office receipts in China exceeded RMB17 billion — US$2.69 billion — for the first time in 2012, according to revised data from State Administration of Radio, Film & Television (SARFT) 國家廣播電影電視總局.

The new data, replacing that released only ten days ago, shows theatrical box office of $2.71 billion (RMB17.07 billion), a 30% increase on 2011's figure.

Market share for local films was 48.5%, while imported titles captured 51.5% of receipts.

According to SARFT, some 893 films were produced, including 745 live action features 33 animated features, 15 documentary features, 74 educational films and 26 others. The live action feature total includes 92 TV movies that were shot digitally, but which can be screened theatrically. The headline figure for 2011 was 791 films.

TONG Gang 童剛, head of SARFT's Film Bureau, characterised the market share figure for Chinese figures as a "severe situation". But he also said that Chinese films' performance "exceeded market expectations" at the time early in 2012 when China and the US agreed to allow a larger number of foreign films to be imported and distributed in China.

More than 20 Chinese films achieved box office receipts of more than RMB100 million (US$15.9 million), six scored more than RMB200 million (US$31.7 million) and three, including Painted Skin: The Resurrection 畫皮Ⅱ and CZ12 十二生肖 managed more than RMB700 million (US$111 million).

Local comedy, Lost in Thailand 人再囧途之泰囧, released on 12 Dec 2012, has recently become the highest grossing Chinese-language film of all time. It had made RMB1.17 billion (US$188 million) by 8 Jan 2013. Avatar (2009), on RMB1.39 billion, is still the biggest hit of all time.

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