China box office crosses $1.2bn in H1

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Box Office News

According to official government figures from State Administration of Radio, Film & Television (SARFT) 國家廣播電影電視總局, Chinese films had a 35% market share in the first half of 2011. This is down from 51% in the first six months of 2011.

Total box office income in the six month period grew 42% year-on-year to RMB8.1 billion (US$1.26 billion), up from RMB5.7 billion ($893 million at current exchanges rates) in the first half of 2011.

Hollywood films dominated the top ten charts. The only Chinese entry in the top ten films of the year so far is Painted Skin: The Resurrection 畫皮Ⅱ (pictured). Still in cinemas, it is was the fourth highest grossing film of the year by 8 July.

Chinese films had taken RMB2.81 billion this year by 30 June, down 4% from RMB2.93 billion year-on-year. (Last week, with the box office success of Resurrection and Caught in the Web 搜索, Chinese-language films had a 92% market share.)

The SARFT numbers include action-comedy Black & White Episode I: The Dawn of Assault 痞子英雄首部曲：全面開戰; the Taiwan-produced and Taiwan-invested film only recently became an official China co-production for its Mainland release.

Last year was the first year that annual box office in China crossed US$2.0 billion (RMB13 billion). If the Chinese box office maintains its 42% growth rate through the whole year, 2012 box office could reach $2.9 billion.

Hit by the earthquake and tsunami of March, box office takings in Japan dropped by 18% last year to $2.34 billion.

 
TOP 10 NON-CHINESE FILMS 2012 (to 30 June 2012)

1. Titanic (1997) (RMB934.0 million, $146 million)
2. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011) (RMB679.2 million, $106 million)
3. The Avengers (RMB564.8 million, $88.5 million)
4. Men In Black 3 (RMB496.2 million, $77.8 million)
5. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2011) (RMB387.8 million, $60.8 million)
6. Battleship (RMB306.4 million, $48.0 million)
7. John Carter (RMB264.4 million, $41.4 million)
8. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) (RMB186.8 million, $29.3 million)
9. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (RMB175.1 million, $27.4 million)
10. Wrath of the Titans (RMB160.1 million, $25.1 million)

 
TOP 10 CHINESE FILMS 2012 (to 30 June 2012) [* still on release]

1. Painted Skin: The Resurrection (RMB216.0 million, $33.8 million) *
2. The Great Magician 大魔術師 (RMB173.8 million, $27.2 million)
3. Mission Incredible: Adventures on the Dragon's Trail 喜羊羊與灰太狼之開心闖龍年 (RMB165.4 million, $25.9 million)
4. Guns and Roses 黃金大劫案 (RMB151.0 million, $23.7 million)
5. Love 愛 (RMB136.6 million, $21.4 million)
6. The Viral Factor 逆戰 (RMB129.4 million, $20.3 million)
7. I Do 我願意 (2011) (RMB85.32 million, $13.4 million)
8. All's Well, End's Well 2012 八星抱喜 (RMB84.44 million, $13.2 million)
9. Black & White Episode I: The Dawn of Assault (RMB71.24 million, $11.2 million) *
10. Love in the Buff 春嬌與志明 (RMB70.79 million, $11.1 million)

 
TOP 10 CHINESE FILMS 2012 (to 8 July 2012) [* still on release]

1. Painted Skin: The Resurrection (RMB516.6 million, US$81.0 million) *
2. The Great Magician (RMB173.8 million, US$27.2 million)
3. Mission Incredible: Adventures On The Dragon's Trail (RMB165.4 million, US$25.9 million)
4. Guns and Roses (RMB151.0 million, US$23.7 million)
5. Love (RMB136.6 million, US$21.4 million)
6. The Viral Factor (RMB129.4 million, US$20.3 million)
7. I Do (RMB85.32 million, US$13.4 million)
8. Black & White Episode I: The Dawn of Assault (RMB85.18 million, US$13.3 million) *
9. All's Well, End's Well 2012 (RMB84.44 million, US$13.2 million)
10. Love in the Buff (RMB70.79 million, US$11.1 million)

 
Source: SARFT. Note that numbers differ slightly from other industry sources.

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