'The First Slam Dunk' box office sets tone for upcoming holidays

A person takes photos of the figure stands of characters in Japanese animation series Slam Dunk at a shopping mall in Fuzhou, East China's Fujian Province on April 20, 2023. Photo: VCG

Japanese animated sports film The First Slam Dunk, a "nostalgia trigger" as netizens put it, has earned big at the Chinese mainland box office, bringing in more than 390 million yuan ($56.5 million) in its first five days, according to Chinese ticketing platform Maoyan. 

Released on April 20, the film, based on Japanese artist Takehiko Inoue's best-selling manga series in the 1990s, has now swept up Chinese moviegoers to become a "double winner." It has set a record for the largest screen share for an animated feature in a "single day" and a "premier day" in the Chinese mainland cinema history. 

According to IMAX China, during its opening weekend, The First Slam Dunk grossed a stunning 38 million yuan at the IMAX box office. 

Calling moviegoers' fanatic response toward the film a "major cultural event," Daniel Manwaring, CEO of IMAX ­China, told the Global Times the movie house's big-screen experience has drawn audiences closer to the "classic story." 

Prior to the film adaption, the manga series was truly a classic that was also adapted into an animated TV series that created many great memories for Chinese audiences during the 1990s. 

It was a "collective pop cultural memory" for Chinese viewers back then, film critic Li Sihe told the Global Times, adding that he estimates the film will earn more than 800 million yuan during its entire run. "This sets a good momentum for the upcoming May Day holiday box office, especially since the May Day holiday this year is offering a film buffet to audiences," Li noted. 

Nearly 20 films have been announced for the May Day holiday period, which will kick off in less than a week. 

This is the highest number of films to hit cinemas at once in recent years, indicating that Chinese mainland cinemas are shaking off the fatigue brought by COVID-19. 

Genres of the holiday films run the gamut from action and crime to comedy and suspense films. 

Among the many films such as crime film The Procurator and star-studded film Flashover, action film Born to Fly is the most "highly anticipated" movie, earning more than 66 million yuan in presales, according to Maoyan. 

The film is led by popular pop idol Wang Yibo, who has 40.2 million followers on Sina Weibo. Li told the Global Times that the idol's influence is a "definite factor" behind the film's popularity along with another fact that the film has a fresh theme that has never been featured in a Chinese movie before. The film tells the story of test pilots who give their all to bring a new plane to completion.

Romance film All These Years has also been seen by many as a dark horse for the holiday. It is the finale of a film quartet adapted from writer Bayue Chang'an's youth novels. The series has been embraced by a large number of youth audiences. 

"We can expect the May Day holiday box office to promote the confidence of the Chinese film industry and create a good surge before the October National Day holiday season," Li said.