IMAX takes up bigger share of cinema visits

IMAX screenings hit a new high during Spring Festival despite a drop in total cinema visits, amid rising concerns that Chinese consumers' interest in movies is cooling as consumer spending weakens.

The total box office for IMAX screenings of the sci-fi hit The Wandering Earth, which premiered during the peak moviegoing season during the Spring Festival holidays, had exceeded 300 million yuan ($45 million) by last Sunday, a record high for IMAX screenings in China, followed by Avengers: Infinity War.

The total screen share of IMAX movies increased nearly 40 percent year-on-year during the holiday season, and contributed around 3.7 percent of total box office intake, according to data from professional box office tracker Maoyan.