China’s February box office receipt tops US$1.4 billion as Jia Ling’s ‘Re La Gun Tang’ potboiler leads Lunar New Year bonanza
- The domestic box office is led by local productions that include comedy dramas YOLO and Pegasus 2, and animated adventure Boonie Bears
- Ticket sales during the Lunar New Year break rose more than 18 per cent compared to the holiday last year
China’s box office has racked up more than 10 billion yuan (US$1.4 billion) in revenue in February, buoyed by film-goers flocking to the cinemas during the eight-day Spring Festival holiday, according to the latest surveys.
Theatres sold 8 billion yuan in tickets from February 10 to 17 alone, led by the comedy drama YOLO, which earned 2.7 billion yuan during the period, according to data from the China Film Administration, ticketing service Maoyan and film data platform Beacon.
YOLO (“You Only Live Once” or Re La Gun Tang in Chinese), adapted from the 2014 Japanese sports drama 100 Yen Love, tells the story of an unemployed, overweight woman whose life changed after meeting a boxing coach.
Directed, written and starring Jia Ling, one of China’s most promising rising female directors, the tale of self-discovery became a big hit during the country’s biggest holiday of the year and sparked lively debates on social media about body image and self-esteem.
Following close behind YOLO was Pegasus 2, a sequel to the 1.7 billion yuan-grossing first instalment directed by bestselling Chinese novelist Han Han. It hauled in 2.4 billion yuan during the Lunar New Year.
