China Box Office: ‘Stand By Me’ Wins Muddled-up Mid-Autumn Holiday Weekend

As someone who has spent countless hours immersed in the vibrant world of Chinese cinema, I can confidently say that this year’s Mid-Autumn Festival box office was a rollercoaster ride, filled with unexpected twists and turns. The top spot went to “Stand By Me,” a film that had its fair share of delays but managed to steal the show.


During China’s Mid-Autumn Festival, numerous films were launched, yet there was minimal impact on the box office. The drama movie “Stand By Me” proved to be the most successful among them.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on Sunday to Tuesday (Sept 15-17), official rest days have been designated. However, Saturday (Sept. 14) has been declared an “alternative work day.” Consequently, some movie titles postponed their premiere from the usual Friday to Sunday; reports suggest that nine new Chinese films entered the market during this period. Nevertheless, the total box office earnings for the nation amounted to $28.1 million.

On Friday, the movie “Stand By Me” earned approximately $10.3 million (73.0 million RMB), as per Artisan Gateway’s data. Originally slated for a July release, its premiere was delayed due to political intervention. The film follows the story of two children who are orphaned or abandoned and form an alliance during their teenage years. It features Karry Wang, the frontman of the well-known TFBoys boy band, in the leading role.

In its second week, the Chinese action film titled “Go for Broke” or “Chong Sheng,” raked in $2.2 million to secure the second position. Since its release on August 16, it has accumulated a total of $58.7 million.

A drama movie titled ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ was unveiled exclusively on Sunday, starring a 50-year-old woman who reclaims control of her life by embarking on a road trip. The film raked in RMB14.3 million ($2.02 million) on its debut and has accumulated $2.6 million with previews included.

On this past Sunday, the crime comedy-drama titled ‘A Frozen Fury,’ focusing on social justice themes, hit the screens. It generated a revenue of approximately RMB14.2 million, or around $2 million.

The sci-fi movie ‘Alien: Romulus’ generated $1.7 million in ticket sales from Friday to Sunday, placing it fifth during that period. This brings its total earnings to an impressive $105 million, making it the second highest-grossing Hollywood film of 2023 in mainland China.

According to Artisan Gateway, the cumulative China box office revenue for this year stands at approximately $4.78 billion, which represents a decline of about 23% compared to the same period last year.

During the major National Day holiday period, starting from October 1, there could be an opportunity for various sectors to recover some losses. Additionally, this extended break might provide Hollywood with another substantial chance in a tough market, as “Transformers One” is set to premiere in Chinese cinemas on September 27.

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2024-09-16 07:16