CHINESE BOX OFFICE UP 27 PERCENT IN 2013

The Chinese box office surged 27 percent in 2013 to $3.6 billion, the Chinese film site Mtime.com reported on Thursday. Much of the boost was attributed to the new-found popularity of domestic films, which dominated the box office for the first time with seven of the top ten films. The No. 1 film for the year was Stephen Chow’s Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons, which took in $205.9 million, according to the website. Disney/Marvel’s Ironman 3, the No. 1 film in the U.S., was a distant second in China with $124 million for the year. Two other Hollywood films made the list: Pacific Rim, with $114 million, and Gravity, with $73 million. While the loss of market share may concern some Hollywood executives, the huge expansion of the Chinese film market will no doubt offset any unease. The U.S. film market rarely rises by more than a percent or two, with the number of moviegoers remaining virtually stagnant from year to year.