The locally-produced franchise sequel Detective Chinatown 3 has driven the Chinese box office into a lather, raking in $357M in ticket sales during the first 3-days of its opening weekend last week, the beginning of the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday. It was a welcome relief for exhibitors, which had been forced to close their theatres and sit on the sidelines during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, movie ticket sales got another shot in the arm from the Chinese government restricting travel within the country to ensure that the pandemic does not resurge as a result of the widespread travel that usually occurs during the week-long holiday. As a result, local activities such as movie-going were one of the few entertainment options available to a population that is eager to get out and about. Also worth noting is the fact that Detective Chinatown 3 was originally slated for release at this same time last year, but was pushed back after the pandemic erupted. Hollywood studios and US exhibitors are hopeful that a similar pattern will occur in the Domestic market, as vaccinations and other public health measures take effect.