China's 2021 box office revenue topped 29 billion yuan (about 4.48 billion U.S. dollars) as of Thursday.

 

The milestone this year was hit more than a month later than in 2019, when the same total was achieved on June 12, according to data from box office tracker Maoyan.

 

Eight of the top 10 earners at China's box office this year are domestic productions.

 

Comedian and actress Jia Ling's maiden directorial project "Hi, Mom" and Wanda Pictures' comedy "Detective Chinatown 3" lead the yearly chart, with total respective earnings of 5.41 billion yuan and 4.52 billion yuan, or more than 18 percent and 15 percent of the total.

 

The only two foreign films in the top 10 are the U.S. productions "F9: The Fast Saga" and "Godzilla vs Kong," respectively ranking third and fourth with 1.39 billion yuan and 1.23 billion yuan.

 

The yearly ticket sales growth is expected to pick up speed over the coming weeks as the summer box office starts to heat up in China.