The Chinese film market saw box office earnings plummet in the week to Sunday, as recent hits “Detective Pikachu” and “Avengers: Endgame” started to cool down.
Earnings dropped by 27.4 percent from the previous week to 468 million yuan (67.7 million U.S. dollars), according to Maoyan, China's biggest ticketing platform.
“Pokemon Detective Pikachu” remains at the top of the box office, with weekly revenues of 26 million U.S. dollars, bringing its total box office earnings to 71.3 million U.S. dollars.
“Avengers: Endgame," which has taken over 596 million U.S. dollars in China since its release on April 24, came second.
In third place was the pet movie “A Dog's Journey,” which made over 9.8 million U.S. dollars in just two days in China.
A sequel to the 2017 film “A Dog's Purpose,” which raked in over 600 million U.S. dollars globally, the movie is about a dog who finds the meaning of his own existence through the lives of the humans he meets.
“Avengers: Endgame" was released in China on April 24. /VCG Photo
Cinemagoers on social media said they were touched by the absolute, devoted love the dog showed humans, although some complained the story was a bit cliché.
Other newcomers at the box office this week included domestic thriller “Twins,” which ranked sixth in terms of earnings, with 1.7 million U.S. dollars. Starting with an art student who is asked to make a painting of a girl living in a luxurious house, the story deals with the themes of adolescence, love and choice.
German film “Heidi” was seventh, with box office earnings of 1.3 million U.S. dollars. Audiences said they were impressed by the protagonist's pursuit of love and freedom, as well as the stunning scenery of the Alps. The film, released in Germany in 2015, has scored 9.1 out of 10 on Douban.com – China's version of Rotten Tomatoes.
Looking ahead, 12 new films are scheduled to hit the cinemas this week.
Disney's live-action “Aladdin” will be released on Friday. Adapted from the classic animated film of the same name, it's about the fight between a street urchin and a Grand Vizier for a magic lamp that has the power to make wishes come true.
Also coming up is a documentary about popular Chinese rock band Mayday that is expected to be a hit due to its huge fan base. “Mayday Life” is the third documentary about the band and stars iconic Chinese actors Huang Bo and Tony Leung Ka Fai.
Another highly anticipated film coming out on May 24 is "Dragon Ball Super: Broly." The 20th film in the Dragon Ball franchise, it's a story about adventure, struggle, passion and friendship.