BEIJING, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Crime drama "Traces of Justice" topped China's National Day holiday box office, in a market that fell from a year earlier, with some analysts citing the absence of a blockbuster-scale title.
The seven-day holiday frame ending on Wednesday generated 1.165 billion yuan (about 173 million U.S. dollars) from nearly 32 million admissions, according to the China Film Administration. Daily takings exceeded 100 million yuan throughout, but the total was well below last year's eight-day holiday, which grossed 1.835 billion yuan, according to ticketing platform Maoyan.
"Traces of Justice" grossed 423 million yuan. It was followed on the charts by comedy "Mr. & Mrs. Pardon," imported horror title "Resident Evil," war drama "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East" and animated feature "Peppa Pig: Perfect Holiday." The top three earners accounted for more than 70 percent of total revenue.
Directed and co-written by Chen Sicheng, "Traces of Justice" is based on the life and work of renowned trace-evidence expert Cui Daozhi. The film, starring Zhang Yi, follows investigators as they solve challenging cases using forensic evidence like fingerprints and bite marks, while also tracing the development of forensic techniques in China over several decades.
A report released Thursday by the Maoyan Research Institute found that the share of multi-person movie outings during the National Day holiday fell to its lowest level in six years, while solo moviegoers made up 25.7 percent of admissions, also a six-year high.
The report said family demand was not fully met, and that the continued strength of some summer holdovers reflected a lack of new family-oriented releases.
"This year's top three films each found their own path to success, but audience interest remained relatively subdued overall because there was no blockbuster-scale title capable of generating broader excitement," said Lai Li, a Maoyan analyst.
Lai added that as audiences become more selective, there will be a greater need for innovation in both content and form.
Among the standouts was "Resident Evil," which opened on Oct. 5. Lai said the globally recognized franchise and better-than-expected word of mouth converted core fans into ticket buyers and helped boost its box office and buzz.
Other indicators were more resilient. Maoyan counted 12,800 cinemas and 79,400 screens in operation, both the highest for a National Day holiday in six years.
After a soft opening day, the market held up well, with new releases lifting daily takings on the third and fifth days. Fifth-day revenue rose 22.9 percent from the previous day to become the holiday's strongest single day, which Maoyan said underscored the role of new film supply in stimulating the market.
Chen Jin, an analyst at film data platform Beacon, expects leading titles to continue supporting the box office through mid-to-late October.
Maoyan forecasts Chinese mainland box office totals of 670 million yuan for "Traces of Justice," 550 million yuan for "Resident Evil" and 390 million yuan for "Mr. & Mrs. Pardon."
The Chinese mainland's annual box office has surpassed 30.7 billion yuan so far this year. ■
