Movie box office takings in China could exceed 10 billion yuan (1.47 billion U.S. dollars) this year, up 61 percent from the previous year, an official said Saturday.
La Peikang, a deputy director of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, said the box office had surged to 6.2 billion yuan in 2009 from less than 1 billion in 2003.
China-made films grabbed a 56.6-percent share of the box office last year with competition from Hollywood blockbusters, La told a forum on animated films in the eastern city of Hangzhou.