China’s 2024 Spring Festival Box Office Surges Past 3.5 Billion Yuan in Record Start
Beijing, The Gulf Observer: The 2024 Spring Festival box office in China has achieved a resounding success, surpassing 3.5 billion yuan (492.7 million U.S. dollars) within the initial three days of the holiday, marking a remarkable year-on-year increase of nearly 17 percent.
Running from February 10 to 17 this year, the Spring Festival period, known for its traditional surge in movie ticket sales, has proven lucrative for the Chinese film industry. The extended eight-day holiday is expected to attract a substantial number of movie-goers to cinemas, heralding a robust start to the Chinese film market in 2024.
On February 10, eight films made their debut, competing for audience attention. Among them, the domestic comedy-drama “YOLO,” directed by and starring renowned comedian Jia Ling, emerged as the highest-grossing title, generating over 1.3 billion yuan in revenue as of Tuesday morning, according to box office tracker Dengta Data.
This success narrowly edged out the comedy “Pegasus 2,” which earned nearly 1.2 billion yuan in its first three days of release. Written and directed by writer-turned-director and racing driver Han Han, the film serves as a sequel to his 2019 Spring Festival holiday hit “Pegasus.”
In the Spring Festival box office rankings, the animation “Boonie Bears: Time Twist” secured the third spot, amassing a total revenue of 714 million yuan since its debut. The overwhelming response from audiences during the initial days of the Spring Festival showcases the enduring appeal of Chinese cinema and sets a promising tone for the industry’s performance in the coming year.
