“KNOCKOUT,” a new Chinese action film starring popular young actor Han Geng, was released on Chinese video website iQiyi yesterday as most movie theaters remain closed due to the coronavirus epidemic.

“Knockout” tells the story of a former boxing champion who returns to the boxing ring after his release from prison to fulfill a promise to his daughter.

A recent survey showed that Chinese people have watched more movies on average over the last two months than the same period in previous years as they spent more time at home amid the epidemic.

According to the survey of 1,530 respondents by the China Film Association and Maoyan, a leading film database and ticketing platform, each respondent watched an average of six films outside of cinemas in March and seven in February. Moreover, more than 70 percent of the respondents have paid to watch movies online, which has increasingly become a popular option for viewers.

As the epidemic continued to show positive momentum in China, more people are looking forward to watching movies at cinemas, with 34 percent saying their anticipation was “very high.” Nearly 60 percent of those surveyed would be more willing to go to the cinema if proper epidemic control measures were in place and discounts on tickets were offered.(Xinhua)