As of August 17, 2024, China’s summer box office has exceeded 10 billion yuan (1.39 billion U.S. dollars), according to the ticketing platform Beacon.
Leading the charts is the blockbuster comedy Successor, starring the popular comedic duo Shen Teng and Ma Li. The film follows a wealthy couple who go undercover as impoverished rural residents to create a more challenging environment for raising their son. Since its premiere on July 16, Successor has grossed over 3.13 billion yuan (437.8 million U.S. dollars) as of Monday morning, making it the highest-grossing film of the summer season, which runs from June through August.
Trailing behind Successor are the crime thriller A Place Called Silence and the romantic drama Moments We Shared, rounding out the top three in this summer’s box-office race.
Industry experts attribute this year’s strong summer box office to a diverse selection of films and genres. By August 17, a total of 138 films had been released or were scheduled to premiere. The lineup includes comedies, romances, documentaries, animated films, action films, and crime thrillers. Comedy films, in particular, have excelled, generating nearly 5 billion yuan (696 million U.S. dollars) in revenue.
With over 33 million screenings as of August 17, marking a 10% increase from last year, this season has set a new record for the highest number of showings in summer box-office history.