Hollywood dominates Greater China in H1 2014
By Kevin Ma
Thu, 03 July 2014, 18:30 PM (HKT)
Box Office News
Hollywood once again dominated the Hong Kong box office in the first half of 2014.
According to Hong Kong's Motion Picture Industry Association Ltd (MPIA) 香港電影協會, six out of the top ten films for the year are from Hollywood, with Captain America: The Winter Soldier taking the lead with HK$56.5 million (US$7.30 million).
The top local film in the territory for the year so far is Matt CHOW 鄒凱光's Lunar New Year comedy Golden Chickensss 金雞sss, which is fifth-placed with HK$41.3 million (US$5.33 million). The other Chinese-language films on the list are From Vegas to Macau 賭城風雲 (HK$33.6 million, US$4.33 million), The Monkey King 西遊記之大鬧天宮 (HK$25.6 million, US$3.31 million) and Overh3ard 竊聽風雲3 (HK$23.6 million, US$3.04 million).
Total box office for the first six months was HK$856 million (US$110 million), a year-on-year increase of 11.8% from HK$766 million (US$98.8 million) in the same period last year. A total of 159 films have been released, including just 25 local films.
In China, thanks to Lunar New Year holiday hits The Monkey King, Where Are We Going, Dad? 爸爸去哪兒 and From Vegas to Macau, domestic films had a comfortable lead for the first four months of the year. However, Hollywood films had a major resurgence in May and June with X-Men: Days of Future Past, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Godzilla.
The Monkey King remains the top grossing film with RMB1.05 billion (US$169 million). However, it is expected to be dethroned by Transformers: Age of Extinction, which has become the second-highest grossing film of the year in just four days.
Overall, Hollywood films – all released in 3-D — take up six out of the top ten slots. All six films are part of existing franchises. In comparison, three out of the four top local films were released in 2-D.
Early estimates puts total box office revenue for the first six months at RMB13 billion (US$2.09 billion), with foreign films taking back the majority of the market with a 53% share. Official numbers from State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) 國家新聞出版廣電總局 are expected to be released later this month.
In Taiwan, Hollywood continues to dominate the box office with the exception of Umin Boya 馬志翔's KANO KANO and Lunar New Year comedy Twa-tiu-tiann 大稻埕. The former, a three-hour baseball film, is the second highest-grossing film of the year securing NT$110 million in Taipei; the latter is tenth-placed securing NT$56.4 million in Taipei.
The other eight spots in the top ten are occupied by Hollywood films, led by Captain America: The Winter Soldier with NT$113 million (US$3.79 million). At fifth place, Edge of Tomorrow is the most successful non-franchise Hollywood film in the top ten.
Official and reliable nationwide figures are not available.
CHINA'S TOP 10 FILMS (UP TO 30 JUN)
The Monkey King (RMB1.05b, US$169m)
Transformers: Age of Extinction (RMB742m, US$119m) *
X-Men: Days of Future Past (RMB721m, US$116m)
Captain America: Winter Soldier (RMB719m, US$116m)
Where Are We Going, Dad (RMB695m, US$112m)
The Amazing Spider-man 2 (RMB585m, US$94.1m)
From Vegas to Macau (RMB525m, US$84.5m)
Godzilla (RMB475m, US$76.4m) *
The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug (RMB463m, US$74.5m)
My Old Classmate 同桌的妳 (RMB456m US$73.4m)
HONG KONG'S TOP TEN FILMS 2014 (UP TO 30 JUN)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (HK$56.5m, US$7.30m)
The Amazing Spider-man 2 (HK$54.7m, US$7.06m)
X-Men: Days of Future Past (HK$50.5m, US$6.52m)*
Transformers: Age of Extinction (HK$43.8m, US$5.66m)*
Golden Chickensss (HK$41.3m, US$5.33m)
Maleficent (HK$37.8m, US$4.88m)*
From Vegas to Macau (HK$33.6m, US$4.33m)
The Wolf of Wall Street (HK$31.1m, US$4.01m)
The Monkey King (HK$25.6m, US$3.31m)
Overh3ard (HK$23.6m, US$3.04m)*