At the Hong Kong International Film and TV Market (Filmart) which ran March 13-16, China had a prominent position with the China Film Co-Production Corporation (CFCC) presenting “multiple channels and forms such as exhibition booth, online promotion, themed videos and bilingual booklets,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

With representatives from Chinese film companies touting films completed and in production, the goal was to interest potential partners from the filmmaking community and to showcase the Chinese industry’s recent performance so as to “pave the way for domestic film institutions and relevant projects to go global,” the CFCC said in a statement.

Similar pavilions had been set up in the Hong Kong, Cannes and Busan film festivals. At the Hong Kong Filmart, 31 film companies and 76 films were promoted, in person and via Filmart’s digital platform.

Titanic is getting a re-release in China for its 25^th anniversary on April 3. China has been a major market for the film – it grossed $44 million with its original release in 1998, and $145 million more for the 3D release in 2012, for a total of $189 million.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is the latest Marvel movie approved for release in China day and date with North America on May 5. Other international territories will release the film on May 3.

While the other Marvel films, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania, have not set the China box office on fire, anticipation for Guardians is high, according to a Fandango survey in December, again according to The Hollywood Reporter. Guardians 1 earned $86 million in 2014 and its sequel made $101 million in 2017.

Here are the top ten films for the weekend of March 17-19, 2023.

The comedy Post Truth held its position at the top of the charts. It has grossed $52.21 million in ten days, with $19.15 million over the three-day weekend.

The film tells the story of how a former mob boss, now a cemetery salesman, tries to clear the name of a woman he doesn’t know after ugly internet rumors follow her death. It is directed by Da Peng and stars Dong Chengpeng and Li Xueqin.

At No. 2 is the murder mystery, Revival, an adaptation of the book “The Murder in Kairotei” by Keigo Higashino.  It took in $6.47 million over three days for a total of $22.80 million over ten days. The film stars Ren Su Xi, Liu Min Tao, and Hu Ke, and is directed by Mukuan Lai.

Shazam! Fury of the Gods opened in third place with a disappointing $4.38 million over three days. Chinese fans have not turned up for this Warner Bros./DC sequel despite its day and date release; it has only earned $65 million internationally so far, far short of the $85 million projected. The film is directed by David F. Sandburg and stars Zachary Levi, Asher Angel and Rachel Zegler.

The animated Boonie Bears: Guardian Code took fourth place and earned $1.72 million over the weekend with a total of $218.80 million over 57 days. The film has received distribution in multiple international territories, though not in the US as yet. It is the ninth film in the Boonie Bears franchise and the third highest-grossing this year.

The Wandering Earth 2 ended the weekend at No. 5 with a total gross of $595.06 million over 57 days and a weekend take of $1.5 million. The sci-fi disaster film stars Andy Lau, Wu Jing and Li Xuejian, is directed by Frant Gwo, and is about Chinese heroes saving the earth from annihilation.

The horror movie M3GAN opened in sixth place with $1.65 million over three days. The film was an international sensation when it opened in January, earning over $80 million. Piracy could be one of the reasons for the low numbers in China.

The courtroom drama A Guilty Conscience ended the weekend at No. 7 with $25.88 million over 24 days. The animated The Deep Sea (Shenhai) came in at No. 8 with a total of $135.42 million over 57 days. In previews, The Best is Yet to Come was in ninth place with $0.72 million over three days, and the year’s biggest success, Full River Red, rounded out the top ten with $672.62 million over 57 days.