China's box office sets new single-day record
The Chinese film market saw more than 1.4 billion yuan (about 215 million U.S. dollars) in sales on the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday.
This is a new one-day record for a single market in the world – breaking the previous record of 1.3 billion yuan (about 198 million U.S. dollars) in China on the second day of last year's Lunar New Year holiday.
The holiday again witnessed the Chinese film market reaching unprecedented territory, with domestic films becoming smash hits around the country.
Read more: China's box office rankings on the first day of Lunar New Year.
People line up to check in for a movie in a cinema in Yichang, Hubei Province, February 5, 2019. /VCG Photo
"Comedy films are usually the most popular films during the Spring Festival holiday," according to Zhang Jiaxing, a manager at UME movie theater in Beijing.
The highly anticipated sci-fi film "The Wandering Earth" came in at mediocre fourth position at the box office.
Many expected it would shatter opening day numbers with its stunning visuals and spectacular scenes. It also fills the void of the sci-fi genre in Chinese cinema, but it unexpectedly faltered.
Various posters for films release on the Chinese New Year's Day are seen in a cinema in Yichang, Hubei Province, February 5, 2019. /VCG Photo
The film received a high rating of 8.3 out of 10 on China's film review site Douban. Many expect it to move to the top in the box office in the next few days.
"I think we can expect a turnaround for the film. The competition is rife and it is yet to be seen which one will be the final winner in the box office. High quality films like this one are very competitive," added Zhang Jiaxing.
Over 14 films will squeeze into a tight theater schedule during the seven-day holiday and insiders anticipate ticket sales for the 2019 Spring Festival holiday to increase by five to 15 percent, making it a good beginning for the Chinese film market in the New Year.