The domestic film market in April was scorching hot, with two Hollywood blockbusters and multiple domestic new releases hitting screens. Among them, the sci-fi blockbuster *Battle of Vulcan*, financed by American Giant Pictures to the tune of 170 million US dollars, had already surpassed 1 billion yuan at the domestic box office, a truly impressive achievement.
Yet *Battle of Vulcan* was by no means the biggest winner of April. Released on April 2, the Mainland-Hong Kong co-production *Nie Xiaoqian* started slow and finished strong. Opening with a 15% screen share, by the 20th its box office had also crossed the 1 billion yuan mark, making it only a matter of time before it surpassed the soon-to-be-withdrawn *Battle of Vulcan*.
At the same time, *Nie Xiaoqian* chalked up 125 million yuan in merchandise sales. This not only set an all-time record for domestic film merchandise, but even left the vast majority of imported Hollywood blockbusters trailing in its wake.
Chapter 600