"Low Age" in Chinese Animated Films Makes It Hard for them to Compete with Imported Films at the Box Office

Chinese animated films have been developing rapidly in recent years. Studios began to increase investment in animated films, and there are more and more of them being screened. However, when we talk about animated films, the first things that pop into most people's minds are still Disney, Pixar, and Japanese animations instead of domestic animated films. This has a lot to do with the "low age" phenomenon in China.

Currently, the main audiences for Chinese animated films are still children and their parents. Few films can attract both children and adults, as animated films from Hollywood do.

In 2012, the total box office of domestic films reached 17.17 billion yuan ($2.79 billion), with animated films contributing 1.35 billion yuan, accounting for only less than 8 percent. A total of 20 domestic animated films came out and pulled in a gross 400 million yuan. While there were only 12 imported animated films shown on the Chinese mainland, they grossed 960 million yuan at the box office. In addition, among the 20 domestic films, only sales from Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf Ⅳ exceeded 100 million yuan. Two films managed to reach a 50 million yuan at the box office, and eight of them managed to reach 10 million yuan.

Now, let us take a look at imported animated films. Among the 12 films, only one of them failed to reach 10 million yuan at the box office. The top-grossing film was Ice Age: Continental Drift, with a box office of more than 450 million yuan, followed by Madagascar Ⅳ with a box office of 210 million yuan. At present, the Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf series, with a total gross of 168 million yuan, holds the record for highest box office for a Chinese animated film. However, Hollywood animated film The Croods, which went off-screen last month, single-handedly grossed 400 million yuan on the Chinese mainland.

The "low age" phenomenon of Chinese animated films has hindered their box office success. Although 80 percent of our domestic animated films are emphasizing that they are suitable for all age groups, we can still constantly hear people argue that China's film market needs domestic animated films that do not only attract children. This suggests that we are far from doing well in this respect.