China's Spring Festival film pre-sales hit 600 mln-yuan in record time

BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- With two days to go before the Spring Festival holiday, China's box office pre-sales for the holiday have reached 600 million yuan (about 83.7 million U.S. dollars) as of Sunday, setting a new record for the fastest time to reach this milestone, according to data from box office trackers.

Topping the pre-sale chart are domestic movies themed on wuxia (martial arts and chivalry), Chinese mythology and fantasy.

The Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, is the most important festival on the Chinese calendar for family reunions, falling on Jan. 29 this year. The Spring Festival holiday, extended by one day to eight days this year, is one of the most lucrative movie-going seasons in China.

Observers believe that the figure reflects a strong expectation for quality films among Chinese audiences.

U.S. investment bank Morgan Stanley predicts that, driven by quality releases and strong market demand, China's total box office revenue for the holiday may reach a new record of 8.8 billion yuan, up 9 percent from a year ago.

Besides, it is notable that all the six films set for debut on the Spring Festival are domestic productions.

According to film data platform Beacon, "The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Great Hero," an adaptation of a Chinese wuxia classic, is currently the biggest box-office draw in the pre-sales chart.

"Ne Zha 2" and "Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force," both based on Chinese myths, rank second and fourth in the chart, respectively. The fantasy "Detective Chinatown 1900" claims the third spot.

Xiang Kai, a playwright and director, noted that most of the releases are deeply rooted in traditional Chinese culture, offering "the strongest portfolio in the same period ever" and demonstrating the rising confidence in Chinese culture among viewers in recent years.

With improved quality, a wider range of genres, and a closer connection to local lifestyles, domestic films are likely to maintain their dominance in the Chinese film market, according to analysts. ■