China Box Office Falls to New Low as Cinemas Hit by Closures

variety.com:

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau ChiefChina’s theatrical box office fell to a new low over the weekend as anti-COVID restrictions forces thousands of cinemas to close.

Data from consultancy Artisan Gateway showed that nationwide box office across the world’s most populous country amounted to just $10.5 million.

That was the lowest scoring weekend of 2022 and means the year-to-date cumulative at $2.42 billion is now running some 28% below last’s equivalent figure.

Major cities in China are currently operating under a range of restrictions that range from citywide lockdown (Shanghai) to so-called static management (Suzhou) which also involve government-mandated restrictions on entertainment. “Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore” held on as the top film for a second weekend, but with receipts of just RMB19.1 million ($3 million).