Domestic cinema plots success of Chinese films

In a remarkable rise from last year, Chinese films secured eight places in the rankings of the top 10 highest-grossing movies.

Despite being a generally lackluster year, the domestic film industry staged a turnaround.

As the world's second-largest movie market, China's nearly 70,000 screens earned a stunning box office total of 64.3 billion yuan ($9.23 billion), rising 5.4 percent from the 61 billion yuan recorded last year, according to latest figures from China Film Administration.

Domestic films earned 41.2 billion yuan, up 8.65 percent year-on-year. Admission numbers for urban cinemas reached 1.73 billion, and 2019 saw 9,708 new screens built in China. A total of 1,037 films were produced in 2019; 850 dramas, 51 animated films, 74 science and education films, 47 documentaries and 15 special films. In total, 88 films saw their box office takings cross 100 million yuan, among which 47 were made by China.

With a whooping box office taking of up to 5 billion yuan, Ne Zha became the highest-grossing film of the year.

For most industry analysts, the animated feature retelling the tale of the Chinese mythological figure has renewed interest in traditional culture in an appealing and modern value-driven way.

Aside from Ne Zha, three blockbusters－My People, My Country, The Captain and The Climbers－led to unprecedented takings for the National Day holiday box office season.

The Wandering Earth, the second-highest grossing film this year, is credited with potentially starting a new chapter for domestic sci-fi movies.

"China's film market is breaking records and bringing surprises every day, every minute and even every second, showing the great potential of this industry," Rao Shuguang, president of the China Film Critics Association, says.

"It's widely agreed that the Chinese film industry is undergoing a reshuffling, providing the potential to have more quality movies," he adds.