SHANGHAI -- The Chinese box office has surpassed North America's to become No. 1 in the world as the recent string of national holidays and the country's success in containing the coronavirus brought moviegoers back to theaters in droves.
China's total ticket sales for 2020 reached 12.95 billion yuan ($1.93 billion) on Oct. 15, edging the $1.65 billion total for North America, according to data from Chinese box office tracker Lighthouse and Box Office Mojo, raising expectations that China's film industry -- one of the worst hit by the pandemic -- could end the year No. 1. About 85% of the titles released so far were locally produced films.
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