Fans in China using ‘lock’ screenings to support idols

BEIJING: Fans in China are now using “lock” screenings to support their movie idols.

When a movie is not drawing enough viewers, fans are now buying the minimum number of tickets of a single screening to ensure it will not be cancelled for low attendance.

Fans of Liu Yifei have been using this tactic to ensure the screening of the box office flop Once Upon A Time.

But the use of the method has also been giving the false impression that even poorlyreceived movies are performing well.

In a market monopolised by a few large cinemas and with limited choices of good films, this strategy will allow the film a better chance to achieve a higher box office rating.

The widely-panned Once Upon A Time, first released on Aug 3, enjoyed a row piece rate of 32 per cent. This means that almost one third of all the screenings in cinemas that day were allocated to the movie.

On this account, it placed second among over 20 films. It was only about 12 percentage points lower than Wolf Warrior 2, which has set a new record for total earnings, eclipsing that of the former record holder The Mermaid.

However, both professional reviews and audience comments for Once Upon A Time were quite negative. Within 48 hours, cinema attendance for this movie shrank sharply.

But fans of Liu are still buying tickets in advance to ensure that screenings of the movie continue.