Master Chinese cinephile lingo to spot gems and avoid duds
China’s film market has finally emerged from years of stagnation and contraction, in what has been dubbed the “strongest Spring Festival season in Chinese film history (史上最强春节档 shǐshàng zuì qiáng chūnjié dàng),” according to CCTV News.
The season’s 爆款 (bàokuǎn, viral hit), Ne Zha 2, the follow-up to 2019’s animated feature about the mischief-laden adventures of the eponymous boy-deity and adapted from a 16th-century mythical novel, The Investiture of the Gods (《封神演义》), has now accumulated over 12 billion yuan at the box office and made its way into the top 10 all-time global box office revenue rankings. Not as successful, but still fairing well despite the stiff competition, was the latest installment of the children’s animated film series Boonie Bears, proving that the franchise remains 票房常青树 (piàofáng chángqīngshù, box-office evergreen)—no small feat given it launched in 2012.
Related Articles
