The Associated Press

In this Wednesday Feb. 13, 2013 photo, a woman stands in front of the advertisements of Chinese and foreign films on showing at a movie theater in Shanghai, China. Tens of millions of film fanatics are entering theaters around Asia during the long Lunar New Year holiday, but Hollywood can’t count on them to boost the box office for its mostly serious Oscar nominees. Even with the Academy Awards buzz at a peak barely two weeks before the ceremony, patrons are opting for lighter fare. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

By PETER ENAV Associated Press

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Lights, camera, laughs.

Tens of millions of film fanatics are entering theaters around Asia during the long Lunar New Year holiday, but Hollywood can’t count on them to boost the box office for its mostly serious Oscar nominees. Even with the Academy Awards buzz at a peak barely two weeks before the ceremony, patrons are opting for lighter fare.

‘‘Viewers are mostly drawn to action films, films with special effects, comedies or easy-to-follow ‘popcorn’ movies,’’ said Ross Lee, a manager with Vieshow Cinemas, which owns one of Taiwan’s largest theater chains. ‘‘In Taiwan the big hits are traditionally disaster films like ‘‘2012.’’

Lee and others say that with Chinese movie-goers using the New Year holiday to escape their daily grinds, they generally give the cold shoulder to weightier movies, like this year’s leading nominee ‘‘Lincoln’’ or last year’s best picture ‘‘The Artist.’’