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During the recent five-day Lunar New Year holiday, spanning from New Year's Eve to the fourth day of the Year of Snake, the city's box office revenue totaled only HK$30.6 million, marking the lowest in the decade.
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According to Hong Kong Box Office Limited, the box office revenue during the Lunar New Year Golden Week saw a 37.1 percent drop compared to the same period last year, marking roughly a 60 percent decline from the pre-pandemic levels of 2019.
The two highest-grossing films of the festive season were both local productions. However, the top seller "Hit N Fun" managed to rake in only HK$7.47 million, roughly one-third of last year's leading film "Table for Six 2" earned.
"My Best Bet" came in second with HK$5.79 million in box office, followed by the mainland film "Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force," which ranked third with HK$4.18 million.
Crucindo Hung Cho-sing, chairman of the Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association (MPIA), expressed his disbelief regarding the revenue figures, which were lower than he had modestly anticipated.
He pointed to the limited audience for local films and the lack of blockbuster hits this year as key factors contributing to the disappointing performance during the Lunar New Year prime slot.
Hung also mentioned that the worldwide film business is experiencing a slowdown, hoping a "miracle" will strike the city with a thriving local film.
Meanwhile, cinemagoers had varied feelings about the LNY local films.
One visitor from Guangzhou mentioned his childhood experience growing up with Hong Kong films, saying that the quality of Hong Kong films is better than mainland productions.
A senior audience member, surnamed To, expressed that recent films are increasingly intricate and less enjoyable than those in the past.
