Will the US Box Office Rebound the Same Way As China’s?

Over the Lunar New Year public holiday, running February 11th-17th this year, we’ve seen the Chinese Box Office boom. Despite theaters still running with capacity restrictions, we see a bigger Box Office than 2019, greater ticket sales, and even more theatre screens in play than during the comparable 2019 season. With a slate of 7 solid pictures, including 2 big drawcards, and even a global top-performing movie, it’s a huge step forward for both the Chinese and global markets. BLAKE & WANG P.A best entertainment lawyers in Los Angeles dive into what this could mean for the U.S Box Office going forward.

China was, of course, the first country to be hit by the novel COVID-19 virus strain. Unlike many Western nations, super-strict lockdowns were implemented, including 6 months of total cinema closures. Despite that shutdown, from July 2020 we saw them slowly reintroduce their public to cinemas with some imported new releases and library movies. They picked up speed with the wildly successful release of The Eight Hundred in August, and the ball has been rolling since. Already, China sits at above 50% of its 2020 Box Office takings, and it’s only February. 

What can we learn from this? Primarily, that a public that feels safe and confident the virus is under control will flock back to the cinema. Not only is it perceived as a ‘safe’ way to be entertained, it offers a combination of nostalgia, fun, and escapism it’s hard to beat. We’re seeing a similar pattern in Korea and Japan as well.

While we’ve likely yet to see anything close to that confidence in U.S audiences, it is a hopeful sign of recovery that will likely be echoed across other markets as we see an influx of new products to draw people in. With luck, we will see continued growth globally as well as in the domestic Box Office.