Recently, the mainland China summer box office, supported by the comedy film “Claw Machine” starring Shen Teng and others, experienced a downturn once again. On the first working day of this week, July 22, the box office closed at only 1.49 billion RMB, a noticeable decrease compared to the average of 2 billion from the previous week. The total box office for “Claw Machine” was predicted to drop from 3.7 billion to 3.4 billion RMB in just two days, with the daily box office falling from over 200 million to less than 100 million.
The real-time data from the “Lighthouse” professional edition as of 8:30 pm on July 22 showed that the total box office of mainland China’s 2024 summer films (including pre-sales) had surpassed 6.1 billion RMB, with “Claw Machine” starring Shen Teng and Ma Li leading with 1.65 billion RMB.
Reasons for the box office success:
Several Chinese media outlets reported and commented that “Claw Machine” is a family-friendly film that attracted audiences of all ages, from the elderly to children, to cinemas. The film, told in a humorous and witty manner, depicts the absurd story of a couple raising children in the opposite way, with laughter echoing in the theater, confirming the film’s box office success.
Moreover, the film has sparked wide discussions: some are drawn to the combination of Shen Teng and Ma Li, considering it as a comedic version of “The Truman Show” and a “market-rescuing work” for the summer season; others believe that while the film’s narrative perspective is unique, it lacks depth and is more of a philosophical sketch. Some professionals point out that compared to these discussions, the meaningful aspect of the summer’s top-grossing film is the reflection on family education.
In the movie, Shen Teng and Ma Li play a wealthy couple, Ma Chenggang and Chunlan, who pretend to be poor in order to raise their son. Shen Teng’s Ma Chenggang is anxious that their lavish lifestyle may lead their son to squander the family fortune, so they move back to their hometown disguised as poor people to raise their child.
In the eyes of the audience, this comedic top-tier duo effortlessly convey a sense of humor and mutual understanding between them, delivering a series of punchlines. To avoid their son, Ma Jiye, from figuring out the truth, they act cautiously, leading to humorous scenes. The chemistry between Shen Teng and Ma Li is described as reminiscent of playful parents, with natural and spontaneous reactions.
According to a report by “Sohu,” a staff member at a cinema in Beijing’s Fifth Ring expressed that since the poor box office performance during the Dragon Boat Festival, the days at the cinema had been difficult until the comedy film “Claw Machine” starring Shen Teng and Ma Li premiered on July 13, making the summer box office lively again with audiences increasing significantly.
Data from the professional edition of “Maoyan” shows that the preview of “Claw Machine” approached nearly 500 million RMB in just three days. The film received a favorable 7.5 rating on “Douban” before its official release; after five days of screening, the box office reached nearly 800 million, and within seven days, it exceeded 1.6 billion. By the eighth day, the box office had surpassed 1.7 billion.
While the industry widely predicted that “Claw Machine” would continue to dominate the summer box office in the coming week, aiming for a target of 3 billion and eventually challenging 4 billion, the mainland China box office closed at only 1.49 billion RMB on the first working day of this week (July 22), significantly lower than the previous week’s average of 2 billion.
Reasons for the sudden box office decline:
Industry insiders have identified that after one week of release, the film considered a market-rescuing work for the summer season, “Claw Machine,” started to show signs of decline. The extent of this downturn can be seen from the predicted total box office and occupancy rate of the film.
Data shows that the total box office prediction for “Claw Machine” plummeted by nearly 300 million in just two days, from 3.7 billion to 3.4 billion, with the daily box office falling significantly from over 200 million to less than 100 million.
Furthermore, the occupancy rate dropped from double digits to single digits within two days, marking a new low since its release. Although the film’s screening ratio increased, the declining box office indicated that the entire summer box office seemed to rely solely on “Claw Machine.”
The issue lies in why a film like “Claw Machine,” with a strong box office and word-of-mouth, suddenly showed a noticeable decline when it exceeded 1.6 billion within a week of release.
Some believe that the majority of the filming and screenings were allocated to “Claw Machine,” resulting in rapid initial box office growth. However, if cinemas lack other marketable films, even a well-received film like “Claw Machine” may struggle to attract repeat viewers.
Additionally, there was a decline in the word-of-mouth for “Claw Machine.” While the film maintained a 7.5 rating on “Douban” from the preview period to the first week of release, on July 22, the rating suddenly dropped to 7.4.
Many viewers criticized the film’s portrayal of rich people pretending to be poor to raise children as offensive to the poor. They argued that the storyline of a wealthy child raised in poverty may lack empathy and could be suffocating from Ma Jiye’s perspective, as being deceived in education could leave a lasting impact.
Those holding this view believe that a rags-to-riches story driven by one’s efforts to change their destiny may resonate more with the audience. They suggest that while the film may provide temporary escapism and joy, the real appeal of comedy lies in helping viewers relieve their worries rather than simply entertaining them.