ChinaFocus:Chinaboxofficetops215mlnUSDoverMayholiday,cravesmorehits_GuangmingOnlinebyXinhuawriterZhangYunlongBEIJING,May6(Xinhua)--"China'sMayDayholiday,runningfromMay1to5,suppliedplentifulfilms--adiversemixofdomestic,foreign,live-action,animation,comedyandactiontitles,"saidYinHong,vicechairmanoftheChinaFilmAssociationandaprofessorattheTsinghuaSchoolofJournalismandCommunication,summarizingthe2024MayDayboxofficetoXinhua.Henotedthatrobustboxofficefigureshaveonceagaindemonstratedthatcinemavisitsarearitualinholidayentertainmentandculturalconsumption.DatafromtheChinaFilmAdministrationshowstheChinesemainlandboxofficerakedinanimpressive1.527billionyuan(215millionU.S.dollars)fromMay1to5.That'supfromlastyear'sMayDayholidaybutbelowtheover-1.6-billion-yuanrecordsetin2021.Thisyear'sholidaytakingswereonparwiththoseof2019andrankedamongthetop-threeboxofficesonrecordforthelucrativeseasonalstretch.FilmdataplatformsMaoyanandBeaconnotedthatthetotalnumberofscreeningsduringthisyear'sMayDayperiodreachedarecordhighof2.37million.Domesticactionpicture"FormedPoliceUnit,"spotlightingChina'speacekeepingpolicemissionsonforeignsoil,toppedthechartsat406millionyuan,closelytailedby"TheLastFrenzy,"acomedyaboutadyingman'slasthurrah,whichcameinat392millionyuan.HongKong-setcrimeflick"TwilightoftheWarriors:WalledIn"grossed255millionyuantotakethirdplace."Comedieshavebecomeanessentialaudienceneedinthefilmmarket,"saidChinaFilmCriticsAssociationPresidentRaoShuguang,notingthattheboxofficeperformanceof"TheLastFrenzy"supportsthisview,whichisheldbymanycritics."Aslongasacomedyisofdecentquality,itcansparkamoviegoingcraze."Japaneseanimatedcomedy"SpyxFamilyCode:White"andHayaoMiyazaki's2004animatedclassic"Howl'sMovingCastle"bothcrossedthe100-million-yuanmarktorankarespectivefourthandfifth."Theircombinednear-300-million-yuanhaulunderlinesJapaneseanimation'stremendousswayintheChinesemainlandmarket,"Raonoted.OnthetailsofthetraditionallysluggishMarchandAprilmonths,thepre-summerMayDaycorridorfueledintensecompetitionamongnewreleases.AccordingtoZhangTong,asenioranalystattheMaoyanResearchInstitute,thisyear'sMayDaymovieperiodopenedstrongerthanexpected,drivenmainlybyaheightenedproportionofsame-dayticketsalescomparedtopreviousyears.Thissurgeinenthusiasmforlast-minutepurchasesledtosomefilmsoutperformingexpectations.Areportfromtheinstituteshowsthatsame-dayticketpurchasesaccountedfor70.1percentofsalesonthefirstdayofthe2024MayDayholiday,up3.4percentfromlastyear.Notably,despiterankingjustfifthandsixthonMaoyan'smosthighlyanticipatedholidayreleasechart,"TheLastFrenzy"and"TwilightoftheWarriors:WalledIn"beatexpectationstoclaimthesecondandfourthspotsontheboxofficechartonMay1,theiropeningday.By3p.m.onMay6,theChinesemainland's2024boxofficetotalstoodat20.2billionyuan,withsolidgrowthmomentumcontinuing.Andlookingahead,industryobserverssaytheyhavehighhopes."Hitmainstreamfilmsthatembodycorevalsueswhilerepresentingmodernfilmindustrystandards,drivingdiversificationinfilmproductionandconsumption,areaninevitabletrendforthefuture,high-qualitydevelopmentofChinesecinema,"Yinsaid.Whilecommendingthisyear'sMayDayboxofficestatistics,healsonotedthattheholidaylineup"lackedatrueword-of-mouthphenomenon."Raoagreedthatqualityisparamount:"Onlyhigh-qualityfilmswithculturalsubstancecankeepluringaudiencesandpropellingthemarket'slong-termprosperity."Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.