China Box Office Thread | Oppenheimer-August 30

[A Marvel Fanboy]

Free Birds is supposedly in line for release sometime around the Chinese New Year (which falls on January 31st next year). Yes, Free Birds. A couple of local animated films (something called I Am a Wolf and another one of those goddamn Xi Yangyang movies) are scheduled for mid-January, so I'm guessing they'll put a couple of weeks of space between them and Free Birds. Wouldn't really be surprised if it gets put against Despicable Me 2...

Free Birds ... probably will tank if it releases.

[alee7915]

zackzack vs firedeep...  lol

[baumer]

So Escape Plan is doing fantastic numbers in China?  Wow.  What does that translate into in Dollars?

[efialtes76]

So Escape Plan is doing fantastic numbers in China?  Wow.  What does that translate into in Dollars?

$40m.

[dezorz]

Aout the first. China Film / Sarft have always been like that. I dont see how it could suddenly cause a dramatic change on the market compared previous years.

 

they learn few tricks in 2012. especially releasing two big foreign movies at same time.

[dezorz]

 

The culture differences mean Hollywood can never fully take over the China film market, even if Sarft fully loosen its regulations (which is of course, at least for now, impossible). Check South Korea and Japan, both of which have very loose rugulation over foreign releases, but still local films dominate. 

 

Japan, local movies were strong until 80s. Then US movies dominated until 2000s. 2003 was the year when japan films made more the a third, something which didn happen for previous 20 years. since then it got even better, now japanese films make more than 2/3 from the theater ticket revenues. 

 

Korea opened to foreign market sometimes in 90s. US films made more than 2/3 of the market. change came in early 2000s, korean learn how to do movies. and they conquered the market. for few years. now, it is about even in korea, am i right?

 

so, there are decades when US films dominates in some countries, and there are decades when in some contries local films dominates. i think it is about if there is enough of attractive local movie content in theaters, than people will show. Culture difference is radical thing, nut for box office not always that important.

[Leyla]

 

 

Hollywood can never fully take over the China film market,

thankfully

[The Toymaker]

 

So that's two votes for Who Am I? Here's the thing, when the go-to movie for a particular director is something they co-directed with a much, much more experienced filmmaker, then a revaluation might be in order. I don't consider Raymond Lee a great director because he has credits on New Dragon Inn and a couple of Swordsman movies, or Patrick Yau because he did those great movies with Johnnie To in the '90s. I'd agree with Benny Chan being a fine director if he'd stopped with Who Am I? and Big Bullet, but alas...

Well, I also like Rob-B-Hood and The New Police Story, which he directed, but apart from those, I've not seen his others. From what I've seen, he's fine.

[A Marvel Fanboy]

they learn few tricks in 2012. especially releasing two big foreign movies at same time.

Opening movies close to each other ... true, for some instance, like WHD, F6 and PR. But I dont think that would be enough to cause gross from Hollywood movies to almost decrease.

 

Last year foreign movies totaled around 8.8B yuan, 7.9B of which comes from Hollywood big seven (31 releases).

 

This year so far 8.6B and probably will do 8.9B total. (Probably over 8.1B from big seven with 35 releases)

 

Another thing is, 2012 was a particularly strong year for Hollywood, for the first time taking more than 50% (51.5%) market share since 2003. Foreign market share in 2013 will be around 40% or slightly less or bit more, depending on how local films perform during December. But it is still not the worst year since 1994. The worst year is 2008, in which foreign films only had a 38% share. Most of the time in past 10 year, the share for local films stayed around 55%.

 

 

Japan, local movies were strong until 80s. Then US movies dominated until 2000s. 2003 was the year when japan films made more the a third, something which didn happen for previous 20 years. since then it got even better, now japanese films make more than 2/3 from the theater ticket revenues. 

 

Korea opened to foreign market sometimes in 90s. US films made more than 2/3 of the market. change came in early 2000s, korean learn how to do movies. and they conquered the market. for few years. now, it is about even in korea, am i right?

 

so, there are decades when US films dominates in some countries, and there are decades when in some contries local films dominates. i think it is about if there is enough of attractive local movie content in theaters, than people will show. Culture difference is radical thing, nut for box office not always that important.

You were right about SK and JP. I was refering their current status.

 

A little difference from SK is that China have always know how to do movies. Especially now since Hong Kong film industry are pretty much merged with Mainland.

 

Like you said, in every market, there are years when Hollywood are strong and there are years they are not. But I do think culture differences play a big part here.

Edited November 29, 2013 by firedeep

[Olive]

 

Friday est

TWT--------------23.5m---------------new

Gravity-----------19M----------------302m

CF----------------9.0m ----------------123m

Epic---------------3.8m----------------new

TDW ---------- ------- --------------335.5M

EP---------------------------------------248m

[A Marvel Fanboy]

Solid OD for TWS, 90M OW is possible. Should have better than average legs.

About expected Friday for Gravity/CF. Now see how weekend does.

Epic looks for 18m OW.

Edited November 29, 2013 by firedeep

[Bob Violence]

Korea opened to foreign market sometimes in 90s. US films made more than 2/3 of the market. change came in early 2000s, korean learn how to do movies. and they conquered the market. for few years. now, it is about even in korea, am i right?

 

Hollywood wishes it was about even in Korea now. The last time Korean films were about even with imports (meaning all foreign films, not just Hollywood ones) was 2011. Last year it was almost 60-40 in favor of Korean films and it's shaping up to be about the same this year. Imports got a boost when the screen quota was loosened in mid-2006 (the market share for imports went from 36% in 2006 to 58% in 2008), but that gain has almost been erased.

[Robert Cain]

Is this something to do with the protagonist being a female?

Gravity's protagonist is a female and it's doing fine in the PRC.

[The Toymaker]

Gravity's protagonist is a female and it's doing fine in the PRC.

It's different, though. It has George Clooney as equal top-billing and is about space and includes many references to the Chinese space station, which the audience love every time it is mentioned.

 

Catching Fire is just another young adult movie with a girl as the main lead, and not a girl that is particularly known either.

[Robert Cain]

It's different, though. It has George Clooney as equal top-billing and is about space and includes many references to the Chinese space station, which the audience love every time it is mentioned.

 

Catching Fire is just another young adult movie with a girl as the main lead, and not a girl that is particularly known either.

True and agreed, all I'm saying is that the female protagonist in and of itself is not what is hurting Catching Fire in China. Films with strong female leads often perform very well there.

[A Marvel Fanboy]

CF or THG, even with a male leading role, would still do no better (or even worse) here. It is the whole American YA stuff and premise that stops it from connectting with majority general audience. The franchise is not doing well across Eastern Asia.

 

It's little to do with femal leading. Lots of local chick flicks making gargantuans are proofs; An Angelina Jolie blockbuster will still do big numbers, we will see when Maleficent releases next summer. To most Chinese general audience, the name of Sandra Bullock or George Clooney makes no difference to Milla Jovovich (Resident Evil series do well here) or Adam Sandler. Nobody knows them outside fans. 

[Olive]

Friday numbers

TWT--------------21.5m---------------new(500k midnights)

Gravity-----------18M----------------301m

CF----------------8.5m ----------------123m

Epic---------------3.0m----------------new

TDW ---------- ------- --------------335M(may end its run at 338m)

EP---------------------------------------248m(should finish around 250-252M)

[Olive]

Looks like Gravity will beat TWT on Saturday.

[A Marvel Fanboy]

Since TWS Friday was 21m.

 

Gravity x1.8 = 32m Saturday

TWS x1.5 = 31m Sat

 

No surprise Gravity will back to #1 on Sat.

[Olive]

Saturday est  numbers

TWT--------------30m---------------51.5M

Gravity-----------33M----------------334m

CF----------------13.5m -------------135m

Epic---------------9.0m---------------12.0m

TDW ---------- ------- --------------337M(will end its run close to 345m)

EP---------------------------------------250m(should finish around 255M)