Chinese half-year Box Office Record Shattered

The war for China's box office may very well have been fought in late 2009 on a planet called Pandora, and won by a bunch of very large blue people.

The State Administration for Radio, Film and Television (aka SARFT) announced today that total box office take for the first half of 2010 was US$714 million, not too far off the 2009 total of $909 million. With three weeks of the summer haul of blockbusters like Toy Story 3 not counted, and with Feng Xiaogang's earthquake epic Aftershock opening tomorrow, it's possible China's box office haul this year could reach US$1.5 billion.

So far, this year's top film crop has been almost all from Hollywood, including Avatar, which was released in December 2009 but didn't complete its run until this spring. Chinese-language Ip Man 2 placed second, but the top five was rounded out by Hollywood product: Alice in Wonderland; Iron Man 2; and Clash of the Titans.

Aside from the popularity of Avatar, the big box office factors were the emergence of 3-D technology and the attendant higher ticket prices, and the growing number of film screens in China. Although the number of screens is increasing daily, it’s worth noting the whole country still has fewer than 5,000 screens, about the same number currently serving southern California.

Feng's Aftershock could be a game-changer. Although unlikely to top Avatar, it could be the top Chinese-language release of the year. Better known for his Spring Festival comedies than more serious fare, Feng's look at the 1976 Tangshan earthquake that killed hundreds of thousands cost $20 million to make and should bring in many times that in returns.

Hollywood product has succeeded in China despite a quota of only 20 foreign films per year that can be imported on a revenue-sharing basis. Of those 20, Hollywood usually only gets 14, with the others reserved for movies from France, Korea and a couple of other lucky countries. Last year, two films were imported in December on a flat-fee basis: District 9 and The Twilight Saga: New Moon, both to test Chinese audiences' interest in science fiction and vampires, respectively.

Aftershock opens tomorrow (Thursday, July 21) in cinemas throughout Beijing. For the full impact, see it in IMAX at Wanda Shijingshan (3rd floor, No. B18, Shijingshan Lu, Shijingshan District, 石景山区石景山路乙18号万达广场3层) or UME International Cineplex (Renmin University).