What’s new: China has recorded its highest weekly box office in more than three months, as Universal Pictures Ltd.-produced “Jurassic World Dominion” roared onto the big screen, and more theaters reopened after authorities eased Covid restrictions.
For the week ending June 12, China’s box office revenue totaled 467 million yuan ($69 million), compared to 114 million yuan for the week ending May 15.
“Jurassic World Dominion,” which premiered on June 10, led the pack with a haul of 394 million yuan, accounting for more than 76% of the weekly total, figures from Alibaba-owned ticketing platform Dengta showed.
Meanwhile China Film Co. Ltd.-backed romance “My Blue Summer” came second with 43 million yuan.
Another production distributed by Universal Pictures, “The Bad Guys,” rounded out the top three, earning 24 million yuan.
Background: According to Dengta, this is the highest weekly box office since Feb. 27, the beginning of a wave of Covid-19 outbreaks that kept moviegoers away from cinemas in many cities, including major commercial hubs of Shanghai and Shenzhen, and most recently, the capital Beijing.
As of Monday, nearly four-fifths of the Chinese mainland’s more than 12,000 movie theaters were operating normally, compared to less than half during the month through late April.
Industry-watchers will be looking for signs of a rebound during the July-August summer vacation period for schools, which is usually a busy season for cinemas.
Contact reporter Manyun Zou (manyunzou@caixin.com) and editor Flynn Murphy (flynnmurphy@caixin.com)
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