Domestic flicks bringing in bigger bucks

While it was difficult to hit the 100 million yuan ($16.3 million) box-office benchmark in China a decade ago, many films now seek tenfold earnings.

To date, 46 mainland films have exceeded 100 million yuan, including such surprises as the low-budget production Lost in Thailand taking in 1.2 billion yuan.

The country's box office surpassed 21.2 billion yuan in late September, slightly more than last year, entertainment consultancy EntGroup reports. The figure is expected to easily exceed 30 billion yuan, buoyed by the National Day holiday and year-end releases.