A dozen films hit the big screen in the first week of December, as the Chinese mainland film market makes a final dash in the last month of a troubled 2020.

The domestic romance "The End of Endless Love" stood out among the new contenders released on December 4.

Produced by popular writer and teen idol Guo Jingming, the campus love story between a depressed girl and a boy with super powers generated 147 million yuan ($22.5 million) in the first three days, according to box office tracker platform Maoyan.

It was followed by Chinese costume fantasy film "Soul Snatcher" at 127 million yuan. Starring popular young actors Li Xian and Chen Li Nong, the film is based on a mythological story between a young man and a fox demon that can shift shapes.

Although leading in the weekly box office, the two films received unsatisfactory reviews on film rating platform Douban, where they both scored only five points out of 10.

The American comedy animation "The Croods: A New Age" has basically retained its momentum in its 10-day run. Although dropping one place to third this week, it has taken in a total of 244 million yuan in revenue so far.

After occupying the top spot for two weeks since its release on November 20, the crime thriller "Caught in Time" slipped to fourth, but it had already taken in 500 million yuan in box office as of Tuesday. Its good performance boosted the production company's confidence, and its Hong Kong director Ho-Leung Lau announced a plan to make a second installment.

The crowded market will see 10 more new films this Friday.

"Doraemon: Nobita's New Dinosaur," the 40th installment of the Japanese popular Doraemon franchise, will meet Chinese audience on December 11. The film celebrates 50 years of the franchise alongside "Stand by Me Doraemon 2," which was released earlier in Japan in November.

Another highly-expected film is "Tough Out,"  which won the Best Documentary and Audience Award in this year's FIRST International Film Festival in Xining. The documentary revolves around a group of disadvantaged teenagers who learn to play baseball with a famous coach and represent China at a top international match.