Hong Kong box office partially recovered in late 2022 with local films and Hollywood hits

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Warriors Of Future

Source: One Cool Film Production

Louis Koo in ‘Warriors Of Future’

Local films helped turned the tide of a tough year at the Hong Kong box office with Warriors Of Future and Table For Six among the top 10 titles of 2022, in the face of strict Covid restrictions.

Hollywood tentpoles Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way Of Water also contributed to the partial recovery, leading the highest grossing titles of the year (see below for top 10).

The total box office generated in Hong Kong across 2022 was $146.3m (HK$1.14b), down by 5.38% from 2021 according to data provided by Hong Kong Box Office, a subsidiary of the Hong Kong Motion Picture Industry Association (MPIA) and the Hong Kong Theatres Association.

But the decline was considered marginal given that local cinemas were closed for 104 days from January 7 to April 20 due to Covid pandemic restrictions, losing out on both the lucrative Chinese New Year and Easter holiday periods.

Restrictions on cinema seating capacity were only fully lifted on December 22 having previously been capped at 50% from April 21 to May 18 and at 85% from May 19 to December 21.

Such limitations meant the box office has not yet returned anywhere close to pre-Covid levels – still down 40.52% on 2019. The number of Hong Kong productions released dropped to 27 (out of a total of 217), compared to 46 (out of 278) in 2021 and 49 (out of 329) in 2019. The Hong Kong Box Office said in the same statement that the situation for the film industry remained “very grim” in 2022.

Despite the low output of Hong Kong films, 2022 marked a record-breaking year for local titles at the box office. Warriors Of Future and Table For Six emerged as the highest and second highest grossing Hong Kong and Asian films of all time respectively. The inclusion of Mama’s Affair and The Sparring Partner meant that four local productions made the top 10 for the first time since 2004.

These are clear signs that Hong Kong audiences have come to embrace and support an increasing number of local productions. Hong Kong filmmakers and distributors have also come together to cross-promote each other’s releases on social media and during post-screening greetings, building a stronger buzz and momentum for local films.