Cinema's summer love story
The move is a way to drive reviews and comments online, as audiences nowadays are more likely to trust internet users' reviews than articles written by professional critics, says Beijing-based industry analyst, Jiang Yong.
The summer vacation and the National Day holiday are believed to be two lucrative seasons that provide a major boost to box-office figures in the latter half of the year, adds Jiang.
Among the most anticipated Chinese films are Deng Chao's new directorial feature Looking Up, the animated feature Ne Zha, and the film The Bravest, adapted from a true story about a group of heroic firefighters.
"Ne Zha is a famous figure in Chinese mythology. Considering the current reviews accumulated online from test screenings, Ne Zha will perhaps break the box-office record held by Monkey King: Hero is Back," says Jiang.
Released in 2015, Monkey King: Hero is Back is still the highest-grossing Chinese animated film of all time.
Because the highest-grossing film in the first half of 2019 was the gamechanging sci-fi epic, The Wandering Earth, some insiders believe the market will also see a revival of domestic sci-fi films－a genre that Chinese filmmakers have traditionally struggled with－exemplified by such forthcoming titles as Shanghai Fortress and Pathfinder.
For some filmmakers, however, the market figures do not influence their passion for the art of creation and love of cinema.
"I don't pay too much attention to the figures, but I've heard from some insider friends that the situation is not currently optimistic. However, the numbers don't completely reflect the big picture of Chinese cinema," says director Dong Yue, who is best known for his award-winning film The Looming Storm. "I believe we should focus more on providing Chinese audiences with high quality work," he adds.
