Hong Kong’s box office decreased by 6.2% to $172.7m (HK$1.34bn) in 2024, the lowest level since 2011 according to figures from Hong Kong Box Office. But local productions grossed more than Hollywood titles for the first time since since 2004.
Local films grossed 5.5% more than US studio titles, driven by Emperor Motion Pictures’ recent hit The Last Dance [PICTURED ABOVE], which has raked in $18.29m (HK$142.26m) to date and is still playing. Directed by newcomer Anselm Chan, the film stars Michael Hui and Dayo Wong as an old Taoist priest and a former wedding planner who become partners in a funeral business.
Media Asia’s action drama Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In, which premiered at last year’s Cannes film festival, came in second overall with $13.94m (HK$108.45m). Other local films to make the top ten included Edko Films’ disaster movie Cesium Fallout and Lunar New Year release Table For Six 2; as well as Emperor Motion Pictures’ heist movie The Moon Thieves (see top ten chart below).
Disney’s Inside Out 2 was the highest grossing US studio title, taking $10.86m (HK$84.53m), followed by Deadpool & Wolverine (Disney), Dune: Part Two (Warner Bros), Despicable Me 4 (Universal) and Alien: Romulus (20th Century Studios).
Hong Kong Box Office also reported that combined box office for Hong Kong and Macau was $182.7m (HK$1.42bn) in 2024, a decrease of 5.9% compared to the previous year.
Flashback to before the pandemic:
In the pre-pandemic year of 2019, Hong Kong’s box office came in at $247.43m (HK$1.92bn), which was a slight downturn on the previous year due to the impact of political protests that rocked the city in the second half of the year.
Avengers: Endgame was by far the highest-grossing release in 2019, raking in $28.55m, while Hong Kong films grossed a combined $32.54m (HK$252.9m) for a 13.2% market share. Alan Mak’s crime drama Integrity was the highest-grossing Hong Kong film with $4.03m, but no Hong Kong movies made it into the year-end top ten in either 2018 or 2019.
HONG KONG TOP TEN BOX OFFICE 2024:
[January 1, 2024-December 31, 2024]
Title/release date/US$/HK$
1.The Last Dance (09/11) US$18.29m (HK$142.26m)
2.Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In (01/05) US$13.94m (HK$108.45m)
3.Inside Out 2 (11/07) US$10.86m (HK$84.53m)
4.Deadpool & Wolverine (24/07) US$6.18m (HK$48.05m)
5.Cesium Fallout (01/11) US$5.28m (HK$41.05m)
6.Table For Six 2 (09/02) US$4.80m (HK$37.36m)
7.Dune: Part Two (29/02) US$4.63m (HK$35.99m)
8.Despicable Me 4 (29/06) US$4.57m (HK$35.53m)
9.The Moon Thieves (09/02) US$3.54m (HK$27.55m)
10.Alien: Romulus (15/08) US$3.26m (HK$25.40m)
Source: Hong Kong Box Office