China’s summer movie ticket sales nearly halved amid sluggish economy
WASHINGTON — Movie ticket sales in China have generated more than $1.5 billion so far this summer, a little more than half of last year’s record total of $2.89 billion, according to China’s Film Data Information Network, an institution directly under the Central Propaganda Department. Summer is usually one of three lucrative periods for China’s movie industry, but industry analysts, observers and customers say a slower economy and a lack of creative domestic films are to blame for the decline. Some would-be moviegoers explained why they are staying home this summer. One posted on social media: “The impact from last year’s economic downturn officially appeared this year. Everyone thinks 40-80 yuan ($5-$11) per ticket is expensive.” “Many movies in theaters in July are on streaming services in August,” another posted. “We’d rather watch them at home than go to the theater.” A moviegoer in Beijing who identified herself as Ms. Yu, told VOA that this year’s film market is sluggish because the themes are plain, and streaming services allow everyone to watch movies at home without spending money. “Everyone’s life is already miserable,” she said, “so we don’t want to watch sad movies.” Although the streaming services have become theaters’ biggest …