China's box office revenue on the first day of the May Day holiday exceeded 200 million yuan (about 27.5 million U.S. dollars) by 17:30 Thursday according to box office tracker Dengta Data, including pre-sales and limited previews.
More than 10 new films are released during the May Day holiday this year, ranging from biographies to suspense, from comedy to animation, to meet the needs of different audiences.
In the cinema hall of a movie theater in Lianyungang City, east China’s Jiangsu Province, promotional posters and trailers of movies were shown in a loop on the first day of the holiday. Local residents, either with their families or with friends, were happily waiting for the movies to start.
"II come here today to watch the movie 'The Open Door', because I like comedies, and it happens to be about some of the current chaos in livestreaming," said a moviegoer.
In order to meet the demand for movie-watching during the May Day holiday, cinemas have generally increased the number of screenings.
"During the prime time, from 13:00 to 17:00, the basic occupancy rate can reach more than 80 percent, and that of the non-prime time period is around 45 percent, both showing a significant increase compared with the Qingming Festival period," said Wu Le, duty manager of the cinema.
Among all domestic new releases during the holiday period, two featured comedies have garnered high expectations. "I Grass, I Love" offers a hilarious road trip featuring a truck driver and his young companion, while "The Open Door" is a satire on the chaos of livestreaming and the influencer industry.
Suspense-action films, a traditional staple of the May Day movie market, are represented by "A Gilded Game", a thriller centered on a financial crime, as well as "Trapped", inspired by true events.
Among drama films, "The Dumpling Queen," based on the true story of an underprivileged woman's rise as an entrepreneur, has stood out since the pre-sale.
Animated films for family and children include "Happy Heroes: Rebel Rescue" and "Octonauts: The Crisis of the Tsunami".
China’s May Day holiday box office surpasses 200 mln yuan
