Chinese cinema tries new plots, innovation to sharpen its image

Innovative success

Traditionally, cinemas have been viewed as tranquil spaces where viewers are expected to remain quiet, enabling audience members to fully immerse themselves in the story unfolding on the screen. However, industry players are exploring innovations that go beyond this convention.

During the 2024 Paris Olympics, over 800 cinemas nationwide were selected to livestream the Games from a pool of 10,000. The participating venues had over 2,300 screenings that attracted 55,000 visitors and earned 2.4 million yuan in box office revenue, according to China Film Co, the organizer.

Yu Xiaoyan, a 34-year-old sports fan from Beijing, recalled seeing the thrilling moment when Zheng Qinwen secured China's first Olympic gold medal in tennis singles by defeating Croatia's Donna Vekic. Yu found it exhilarating to shout and cheer for her favorite athlete in the cinema, while experiencing an enhanced visual experience.

In 2024, some local cinemas also functioned as venues where fans could revisit iconic performances by their idols.

Similar to the concert film Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, the Jason Zhang Brilliance Tour captured three concerts by the popular singer at the Beijing National Stadium, in 159 minutes of screen time. The concerts were part of Zhang's The Future Live: Yao Beidou tour, which spanned two years and included 23 shows in 13 cities, and attracted a combined audience of over 900,000.

The film grossed over 46 million yuan at the box office, according to Beacon, breaking several box office records for domestic musicals.

Zhi Feina, a professor at the Chinese National Academy of Arts, said that such innovations have energized the film market and attracted more young audiences to cinemas.

She cited other innovations, such as director Jia Zhangke's Caught by the Tides, which received a Palme d'Or nomination at the 77th Cannes Film Festival last year. The film employed a striking and ceremonial approach to hold theatrical screenings in just 22 days, symbolizing the 22-year production process behind it. Normally, a film is screened in theaters for a month.

"In the relatively less busy box office seasons, the market can also re-screen classics to attract a larger audience," Zhi said. "For instance, the eight films of the Harry Potter franchise were re-screened in 3,400 cinemas last year, also achieving box office success."