Feast in store for fans

Action thriller Jack Reacher: Never Go Back starring Tom Cruise will hit Chinese theaters on Friday. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The blend of these elements means Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk will be much more realistic and clearer than most other movies.

But there is also bad news－there are only two theaters, one each in Beijing and Shanghai, respectively, that have the facilities to showcase the film's visual effects.

Meanwhile, the last revenue-shared imported film this year in China is likely to be Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

The film, which will premiere on Nov 18 in China and the US, is a spinoff and a prequel of the Harry Potter film series, and is expected to do well, just like the other movies from the franchise based on the Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling.

For most industry watchers, it's not a surprise to see this glut of imported films.

China's theaters are typically dominated by domestic titles during the country's peak viewing periods like the summer and holidays like the National Day and the Spring Festival breaks, leaving the other periods to imported films, says Jiang Yong, a veteran industry watcher.

"But this year was a bit different. In the past five years, few imported films were released in the summer, but this year two or three were released each month from July to September," says Jiang.

He also adds that a longtime worry－domestic filmmakers fearing their powerful Hollywood rivals－has gone away as many homegrown movies now resonate more closely with locals thanks to their cultural connections.

Liu Hui, deputy general manager of Beijing UME International Cineplex, echoes the view, saying that while most imported films are welcomed in tier-one or tier-two cities, they are not as popular as their domestic rivals in smaller cities.

As for box-office returns for the year, most industry experts are not optimistic.

After seeing The Mermaid rake in 3.4 billion yuan ($507 million) to become China's highest-grossing title earlier this year, many felt that this year's receipts would surpass 60 billion yuan.

But now, the common view is that it will be time for celebration even if the figure hits 50 billion yuan.

Wang Changtian, president of Enlight Media studio, says China's box-office revenues have returned to "a normal track", which may stimulate local filmmakers to focus more on quality content.

Contact the writer at xufan@chinadaily.com.cn