Illustration:Liu Xiangya/GT

The ample supply of quality films and the diversity of genres contribute to the vigor of China's 2024 summer season's box office. It has so far seen a box-office tally surpassing 4.5 billion yuan ($619.8 million), bolstered by a diverse lineup spanning action-packed blockbusters to culturally rich animated films.

According to data from Chinese ticketing platform Maoyan, from Saturday to Monday, the daily box office exceeded 200 million yuan for three consecutive days. Meanwhile, the total box office for the 2024 summer season (from June to August), including pre-sales, has surpassed the 4.5 billion yuan mark, state broadcaster CCTV reported Tuesday.

The summer season, Spring Festival, and National Day holidays have always been regarded as three major peak periods for film releases. This summer, the movie market presents unusual vigor. A key reason for this is the ample supply of quality films and the diversity of genres. Action films, dramas, animated works, there's always something for everyone.   

The popularity of blockbuster films continues to rise. Low-budget yet critically acclaimed Chinese drama Black Dog, directed by Guan Hu and starring Eddie Peng as the lead, clinched the Un Certain Regard award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. High anticipation had already been built ahead of its national release in June, and it has earned a 7.2 out of 10 on Chinese media review site Douban. 

Besides live-action films, animated films have also been a key focus for this summer season, said Sun Jiashan, an associate researcher at the Central Academy of Culture and Tourism Administration. Since the summer period attracts a large number of young viewers, animated films have always been a mainstay. 

This summer, animated films are particularly prominent, with 18 out of nearly 100 scheduled releases being animated. A notable trend is the prevalence of Chinese-style animation.

The new Chinese-style animated film Into the Mortal World, which debuted in cinemas on Friday, saw its rating rise to 7.8/10 on Douban within days after release. 

Adapted from the folk tale The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, also known as Niulang and Zhinü in Chinese, which can be traced to over 2,000 years ago, the animated film creatively presents a portrait of the descendant of the two leading roles in the traditional folktale, while going to great effort to incorporate Chinese cultural elements such as Chinese constellations and face-changing art into the story.

The familial bond between family members is the main value that this film aims to convey, Zhong Ding, director of the movie, told the Global Times on Thursday.

The director told the Global Times that he hopes this film can be seen by as many people as possible. As of Tuesday, Into the Mortal World had garnered more than 18 million yuan at the box office. 

Animated comedy Despicable Me 4 has garnered the box office of 150 million yuan as of Tuesday, the fifth day of its release in the Chinese mainland.

It's worth noting that this year's summer season features several films focusing on realistic themes and directly addressing social concerns. For instance, domestic comedy Successor topped the box-office chart in the Chinese mainland, with box-office sales of over 600 million yuan as of Tuesday.

Starring comedy stars Shen Teng and Ma Li and directed by Yan Fei and Peng Damo, the film tells the story of a poor rural couple who count on their son to change their fate. 

Upstream depicts the struggle of a middle-aged white-collar worker who gets laid off from a tech company and becomes a food delivery man. Life Hotel portrays mutual support among patients, based on the prototype of a patient community. "The content is quite realistic; living a good life is not easy. We can only try our best to do what we want to do and cherish our lives and our families. I like the final quote on the screen, 'The rest of life is long, and please smile more!'" wrote a reviewer on Douban. 

There's also A Place Called Silence, which reflects on the issue of school bullying, a topic that has drawn increasing public attention in recent years. It has garnered more than 900 million yuan at the box office in the 14 days since its release.

In 2023, the summer box office surpassed 20.6 billion yuan, the highest in Chinese film history, even exceeding the pre-pandemic peak in 2019.

Sun said that this year's summer box office may only approach that of 2023, while the total annual box office is expected to fall short than in 2023. 

However, he emphasized that a focus solely on box office numbers is inadequate when it comes to the big picture, especially at a time when confidence in the industry still needs further recovery, and the industry's ecosystem is undergoing repair. 

Therefore, a long-term perspective is essential to view the Chinese mainland film market's development.

The authors are reporters with the Global Times. life@globaltimes.com.cn