For years, box office analysts have been predicting when China would surpass North America as the world’s largest theatrical film market.
In 2015, when movie ticket sales in the Middle Kingdom grew an astonishing 49 percent, the country's ascendance was thought to be just one or two years away.
But thanks to a wave of regulatory action in Beijing and a sudden market cool down, U.S. moviegoers have retained their crown longer than most expected.
Last year, China's box office revenue rose 5.4 percent to a record $9.2 billion (RMB64.3 billion), but North America easily remained on top with $11.4 billion.
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