China dominates world box office as blockbusters soar in February. (Photo : China Entertainment News)
Despite China’s box office taking over the title of being the world’s top box office, a position held by the United States for quite a long time, insiders still deem it too early to celebrate.
According to the Xinhua News Agency, Chinese theaters have never seen ticket sales record to what they have now as Chinese moviegoers continue to prove the country's crystal-clear lead in the entertainment sector compared to the U.S.
As proof, movies released during the Chinese Lunar New Year had earned a hefty revenue of 4.05 billion yuan ($647.6 million) in February alone, which shot the country to the spot of being the second-largest movie market, surpassing the U.S., the Chinese entertainment research firm Entgroup's report revealed.
Entgroup's report, which came on the onset of March after the Spring Festival celebrated by Chinese people during the Chinese New Year in February, also showcased the earnings garnered by North America at a gross of $710 million.
After further analysis, the report revealed that without Canada, U.S. only earned $640 million, a wee bit lower amount compared to that of China.
However, Entgroup research director Yuan Lin added that the situation is actually in favor of China from the start, since February is indeed the highest-grossing month of China's movie industry but is a slow month for the U.S.
"To be fair, February is regarded as the highest-grossing season thanks to the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday, but in the U.S. the same period is a slow season," she stated, adding that the two movie giants should be compared during other seasons like summertime which is considered as the U.S.'s most-anticipated box-office season.
On the other hand, many movie insiders still deem it too early to celebrate the success, with some even noting that China's box office is not yet as mature as its American counterpart.
"The achievement is positive. But it is not entirely accurate to say that China has already beaten the U.S.," Shanghai-based Fundamental Films managing director Cheng Jiaqi explained.
