The China movie world has been in the doldrums. DC's superhero comedy Shazam!, Tim Burton's Dumbo reboot and artsy thriller The Shadow Play from Lou Ye were all okay but not so well-received by wider audiences. Indian comedy thriller Andhadhun had a decent run but no English subtitles. Meanwhile, Bohemian Rhapsody is holding strong in theaters.

Fortunately, things are about to change: Tuesday (April 23), the premiere screenings of the 3-hour long Avengers: Endgame will hit China at midnight. Though some cinemas in downtown were charging up to 400rmb, the movie sold over 1 million tickets in the first six hours after going on sale last Friday.

Part of the Avengers team as well as the Russo Brothers and Kevin Feige are also coming to Shanghai for a free fan ceremony on April 18. Unfortunately, registration isn't open for foreign passport holders but they will livestream the ceremony on over 30 video platforms (Tencent, bilibili, Youku).

If you haven't bought tickets yet, you are smart. Tickets for April 24 and onwards are available now and prices are back to normal.

Hello Beijing, starring German composer Robert Zollitsch and Dominic Johnson-Hill (founder of Plastered T-Shirts) arrives on April 19. The documentary also features a beautiful Beijing with a very clear sky. The title is pretty self-explanatory.

Two other films that open on April 19: prison drama Papillon, led by Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek, is a remake of the 1973 film about Devil's Island inmate Henri “Papillon” Charrière; and Wonder Park, an animation about an amusement park as imagined by a little girl, with an impressive voice cast: Kenan Thompson, John Oliver, Mila Kunis, and Ken Jeong. It, bizarrely, has no credited director, and only got 45/100 on Metacritic.

A low-key entry from the renowned Tibetan filmmaker Pema Tseden is scheduled on April 26. Jinpa is a road movie about a Tibetan trucker and a hitchhiker who's on his way for revenge. The film was shot in Kekexili, produced by Wong Kar Wai and won the Best Screenplay at last year's Venice International Film Festival. Jinpa also premiered in Venice so it's very likely to have English subtitles.

Another film worth catching after the Endgame is Capharnaüm, which lands in cinemas on April 29. It's a Lebanese drama about a 12-year-old boy who survives in the slums of Beirut and attempts to sue his parents for child neglect. Capharnaüm won the Jury Prize at Palme d'Or and was nominated for an Oscar. Variety praised it: "Tackling its issues with heart and intelligence, Labaki's child-endangerment tale is a splendid addition to the ranks of great guttersnipe dramas." The film is in Arabic and probably won't have English subtitles though.

Finally, the highly anticipated Pokémon Detective Pikachu has confirmed a release date: May 10. Godzilla: King of the Monsters has also secured a spot in May. To the theaters!

5 of the Most High-Tech and Futuristic Cinemas in Shanghai