Topline: The coronavirus outbreak has ground China’s film industry
to a halt, with theaters sitting empty and productions paused, causing box
office losses of at least $1.5 billion so far in 2020, when the
country was instead expected to
surpass the United States this year in terms of box office
sales.
·
According to The Hollywood
Reporter, total Chinese ticket revenue for the past 20 days is
$3.9 million, compared to the $1.52 billion taken in by the box office for the
same period last year.
·
China’s theaters
shuttered their doors beginning January 24 in response to the outbreak, which
coincided with the country’s Lunar New Year holiday, the biggest moviegoing
week in the entire world.
·
On the filmmaking
side, production and distribution companies are unable to either make progress
on movie shoots or release anticipated hits, such as Jojo Rabbit, 1917 and Dolittle,
among others.
·
Film industry
executives are calling for China’s government to provide financial support,
(which Beijing has committed to without
stating specifics) and are also proposing an extension of the Labor Day holiday
in May, which could make up for box office losses.
·
The Washington Post reported
in December 2019 that China’s filmmaking industry was thriving, with two
Chinese-language films making history as the country’s largest box office
draws.
·
A 2017 Deloitte
report projected that China’s film industry would in 2020
surpass the United States in box office revenue and audience numbers.
Crucial quote: “If, God forbid, we’re still talking
about this virus by summer and theaters are not operating and [China] is in a
form of economic paralysis, that impact is way beyond a movie,” an unnamed
senior U.S. film executive told Variety.
Big number: 70,000. That’s how many of China’s movie screens have gone
dark during the outbreak.
Key background: The coronavirus, which has killed over
1,100 people and sickened over 60,000 others, is believed to have originated
from a wildlife market in Wuhan, a city in China’s Hubei province. Coronavirus,
which is being referred to as Covid-19 by the World Health Organization, has
caused more deaths than the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic that swept through Asia.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Chinese government
has been circulating surveys to local film executives asking how the industry
has been hurt by the current coronavirus outbreak, and what the government can
do to help.
What we don’t know: When China’s moviegoing audience will return
to theaters, and if the government will intervene with funding or other relief
measures for film studios and distributors. Some industry professionals worry
that lingering fears of infection will keep moviegoers away. According to Variety,
most productions are not anticipated to resume until April 1, although
some—taking many precautions to prevent the spread of disease—have started back up.
-True Stress Buster,
Rely On Exercise
Tangent: The China Film Group, a government-led organization,
dictates which movies made outside the country are allowed to play in Chinese
theaters. Permission is granted for each film, and, according to the Post in
2019, the group has greenlit about 35 movies per year.
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