China Leads Global Box Office, Surpasses Hollywood in 2025

[Beijingwalker]

China Leads Global Box Office, Surpasses Hollywood in 2025​

ENTERTAINMENT
February 4, 2025

China’s film industry has achieved a historic milestone in 2025, surpassing all other markets to become the highest-grossing box office in the world. With an unprecedented surge in cinema earnings, China has solidified its position as the largest and most influential movie market globally.

The success of the Chinese box office is driven by a combination of blockbuster hits, international appeal, and cutting-edge technology. Several high-budget domestic films have dominated theaters, attracting massive audiences. Genres such as action, fantasy, and patriotic dramas have particularly resonated with viewers, fueling record-breaking ticket sales.

In recent years, Chinese films have expanded their global reach, securing distribution in major international markets. Audiences worldwide are showing increasing interest in Chinese storytelling, with many films receiving critical acclaim and commercial success beyond Asia. This growing international demand has further boosted box office revenues.


Technological advancements have also played a significant role in the industry’s rise. IMAX screenings, 4D experiences, and state-of-the-art visual effects have enhanced the cinematic experience, encouraging more people to return to theaters despite the increasing popularity of streaming platforms. As a result, China has remained at the forefront of innovation in film production and exhibition.

While Hollywood continues to navigate challenges such as production delays, labor disputes, and shifting audience preferences, China’s film industry has remained resilient. With strong government support, a booming streaming industry, and a rapidly evolving film ecosystem, China is expected to maintain its dominance in the global entertainment landscape.

As 2025 unfolds, the world is watching China’s film industry with great interest. With a steady stream of blockbuster releases and continued investment in innovation, China’s box office success is rewriting the global cinematic landscape.

 

[Beijingwalker]

‘Ne Zha 2’ Beats ‘Moana 2’ To Set All-Time Box Office Record For Animated Film Opening​

By AMID AMIDI | 02/02/2025 4:53 pm

The Chinese animated feature Ne Zha 2, from director Yu Yang, broke all kinds of records in its opening weekend, including beating Moana 2 to earn the biggest five-day opening of all time, as well as becoming the highest-grossing animation launch in a single market.

Ne Zha 2 grossed an eye-popping $434 million (CNY3.12B) over its five-day launch in China during the country’s Lunar New Year holiday. That figure easily beats the previous record-holder, Moana 2, which debuted with $386.3 million globally last November.

But there’s a big difference here between the launches of these two films: Ne Zha 2 achieved its entire opening gross from just one market – China – while Moana 2’s total came from 49 different countries and territories. (It should be noted that The Lion King remake had a higher five-day opening than Ne Zha 2 but according to “Hollywood accounting,” a five-day opening only counts between Wednesday-Sunday, and not Friday-Tuesday as was the case with The Lion King.)

Chinese box office tracking firm Maoyan is currently projecting that Ne Zha 2 could end its Chinese run with over $900 million, with a slight possibility that it becomes the first animated feature to ever gross $1 billion from just a single market. Wherever it ends up, it is likely to surpass the nearly $800 million (CNY5.7 billion) gross of The Battle at Lake Changjin to become the highest-grossing Chinese film of all time. It is also poised to surpass Inside Out 2’s $652.9 million gross to become the highest-grossing animated feature in a single market.

The film, nearly two-and-a-half hours long, is a sequel to 2019’s Ne Zha; both are based on the classic 16th-century Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods.

Ne Zha 2 is currently slated to launch in Australia and New Zealand on February 13, and in the U.S. and Canada on February 14.

Also debuting in China this weekend was Boonie Bears: Future Reborn, the 11th film in the franchise. The film’s five-day total in China stands at $57.4m.

‘Ne Zha 2’ Beats ‘Moana 2’ To Set All-Time Box Office Record For Animated Film Opening

Animation was also #1 at the U.S. box office this weekend.

www.cartoonbrew.com

 

[Beijingwalker]

NeZha​

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[Beijingwalker]

Chinese New Year Box Office Sets All-Time Record With $1.3B As ‘Ne Zha 2’ Looks To Make Global History​

By Nancy Tartaglione
February 5, 2025 2:29am

Moviegoers at "Ne Zha 2" in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province of China.Getty

Ushering in the Year of the Snake, China’s Spring Festival 2025 has set a new record for box office during the annual holiday period. Total Mainland grosses reached RMB 9.51B ($1.3B) from January 28-February 4. This outstrips the previous record of RMB 8.02B.

The new milestone was expected once Chinese New Year turnstiles kicked into gear in earnest on January 29, with the biggest gross for a single day in China at RMB 1.8B ($247.5M) across all titles. Momentum did not falter over the following week, with each day through yesterday clocking more than RMB 1B ($137.5M).

The total number of tickets sold during the frame (also referred to as Spring Festival and Lunar New Year) was a record 187M, according to Maoyan.

Notably and massively leading play is Ne Zha 2 which grossed RMB 4.84B ($665.6M) through yesterday (which, incidentally, was the biggest day of its run so far). This is the single-film box office record for the Chinese New Year period in the market’s history, per Maoyan.

Including today’s early numbers, Ne Zha 2 has already overtaken its 2019 predecessor and is closing in on 2021’s The Battle at Lake Changjin to become China’s biggest film ever. Maoyan is now predicting that the animated sequel finals at RMB 8.7B ($1.2B) in China. If it crosses $1B, it would be the first time a film has reached that benchmark in a single market. Anything over Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens’ $936.7M North American haul would make Ne Zha 2 the highest grossing movie ever in a single market.

Coming in at No. 2 across the Lunar New Year stretch is Chen Sicheng’s fourquel Detective Chinatown 1900 with RMB 2.28B ($313.5M). It’s followed by Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force with RMB 998M ($137.2M), Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants (RMB 591.5M/$81.3M), Boonie Bears: Future Reborn (RMB 508.6M/$70M) and Operation Hadal (RMB 290.8M/$40M). All are still playing.

A promotional scheme launched this past December by the China Film Administration to offer subsidies of RMB 600M ($83M) to the moviegoing public through February, alongside other campaigns at regional levels, appear to have helped spur traffic, but that traffic just kept going. It helped that each of the six new films released during the festive period were sequels or adaptations of known IP. USC professor and China expert Stanley Rosen tells Deadline, “I think the most important reason for success is the familiarity and quality of the films, all of which are part of a franchise.”

The Spring Festival frame is typically the most lucrative for cinemas during the year in China, so the performance this week doesn’t necessarily signal a return to full force, but it is encouraging after a dismal full-year 2024 which saw the market slide 25% overall versus 2023.

Comments Rosen, “The success in film is part of what seems to be the wider success in ‘cultural tourism’ and increased consumption. Things may well be bad economically in China, and that may ironically support the desire for entertainment, including among underemployed youth.”

What this portends for Hollywood movies in China going forward is still up in the air. The market accepted a host of studio titles in 2024 — and appeared to ease some censorship restrictions — with two Hollywood films ending up in the Top 10 of the year. However, the situation won’t become clearer until we see the performance of key titles in the latter half of 2025, particularly Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire & Ash.

Chinese New Year Box Office Sets All-Time Record With $1.3B As ‘Ne Zha 2’ Looks To Make Global History

China’s Spring Festival 2025 has set a new record for box office during the holiday period with total Mainland grosses reaching RMB 9.51B ($1.3B)

deadline.com