The year 2025 marks the 120th anniversary of the birth of Chinese film making. From the first film Dingjun Mountain released in 1905, which captured scenes from Peking opera, to the present day boom where artificial intelligence (AI) is utilized in film production, the Chinese film industry has been developing for over a century. Data from the China Film Administration shows that China’s 2025 box office revenue topped RMB 51.8 billion, realizing a year-on-year increase of nearly 22 percent.

Such robust growth displays resilience, vitality, and immense potential of the Chinese film market.

Diversified Development

The year 2025 saw a wave of movie-watching enthusiasm in China, with the box office of domestic films up to nearly RMB 41.3 billion, making up 80 percent of the total. A series of high-quality domestic films emerged to tell Chinese stories. Audiences were deeply impressed with the excellent content and showed their high approval in public reviews.

Since last year also marked the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, China produced several films highlighting the suffering and resistance of its people during that time period. These films include Dead to Rights, Evil Unbound, and Dongji Rescue, which received widespread attention.

The film Dead to Rights unfolds a period of unforgettable Chinese history based on real photographic evidence of Japanese war crimes during the Nanjing Massacre, which occurred between December 1937 and January 1938. It helps audiences learn the importance of remembering history and cherishing peace. The film became the box office champion during the summer season, and also set a new record for historical films in the summer. It inspired many young people to visit memorials and archives to better understand history.

The growing market influence and cultural impact of Chinese films are not confined to specific genres. In recent years, more Chinese films have focused on themes of traditional culture and contemporary values which align with the aesthetic and spiritual pursuits of Chinese audiences. Meanwhile, the domestic film industry has witnessed significant progress in genre expansion and technological application, reaching world-class standards in both storytelling and visual effects.

In addition to historical films, some animated films that present traditional Chinese culture have also gained much publicity and box office success. Ne Zha 2 soared to a smash hit with its compelling story and stunning visual effects. Its global box office exceeded RMB 15.9 billion, making it the top-grossing animated film worldwide. Nobody, with its Chinese-style visuals and innovative interpretation of traditional mythology, has won the affection of many audiences and became the box office champion for domestic 2D animated films.

A female movie viewer walks past the posters of popular domestic and foreign movies screened at a cinema in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, on December 13, 2025.

Stimulating Consumption

With greater cultural confidence and robust technological innovation, the Chinese film industry has created excellent artwork on screen and expanded its influence into public consumption. The popularity of movies is stimulating business throughout the entire consumption chain.

The Chinese film industry has entered a new stage of intellectual property (IP) value development throughout the entire industrial chain, integrating movies with innovative cultural products. The consumer market for derivative products related to movies reached a scale of hundreds of billions RMB, while the cross-industry collaborations of film IPs have unleashed a powerful effect as well. For example, the cooperation between Ne Zha 2 with dozens of brands including food, beauty, automobiles, trendy toys, digital products, and coffee has gained cumulative sales of tens of billions of RMB. Over 800 cultural products related to Nobody have been brought into pop-up stores across the country, with a total sales of nearly RMB 2.5 billion.

In addition to innovative products, the integration with tourism and the food industry has also become a new trend. Last year, the National Film Administration and China Central Television jointly launched the China Film Consumption Year. Activities and discount coupons throughout the year kept people engaged in entertainment.

Local governments have also launched events to convert box office into incremental consumption across various fields. The Shanghai dialect film Shanghai Wonton has inspired many viewers to visit Shanghai. The producer of Nobody and Shanxi’s culture and tourism department also jointly launched themed events, like tours of historical sites in the province that served as filming locations in the movie.

The integration of films with daily life consumption has transformed the Chinese film industry from a traditional box office economy into a diversified consumption ecosystem. As a result, this has made the film economy an important engine for boosting consumption and industrial upgrading.

International Exchanges

Chinese films have attracted much attention overseas as well. In 2025, the overseas box office of Chinese films exceeded RMB one billion, with releases in 46 countries and regions.

As Chinese films go global, they have achieved a dual leap in both quantity and quality. Many movies, especially themed around traditional Chinese culture, have received great attention and popularity overseas. Ne Zha 2 has been released in key markets such as North America, Europe, and Oceania, with box office revenues reaching US $69 million.

At the same time, films based on Chinese history have conveyed China’s voice and helped defend international fairness and justice. Films related to the WWII such as Dead to Rights and Evil Unbound, have been released in many countries and regions, sharing the experience of Chinese during the war. It highlights China’s historical position and significant contributions as the main battleground in the East, and has received significant attention from the international media and audiences.

Chinese films appealing to overseas audiences today are no longer limited to traditional symbols such as kung fu, but represent a variety of genres including mythology, science fiction, history, and realism. Now the world can see a more authentic and multi-dimensional China.

China’s open and inclusive market has also become an important stage for the global film industry. In 2025, China remained a robust market for imported films. Thanks to the strong IP and high production quality, foreign films including Zootopia 2, Jurassic World: Rebirth, F1: The Movie, and Mission: Impossible 8 achieved both domestic acclaim and high box office. The simultaneous global release of films such as Jurassic World: Rebirth, Zootopia 2, and Avatar: Fire and Ash also demonstrates Hollywood’s high regard for the Chinese market.

These imported films have provided Chinese viewers with diverse viewing options, and also promoted exchanges between Chinese and foreign film industries. Such exchange also helps domestic films to improve their creative concepts, technological application, and market operation strategies, which will lead to higher competitiveness of China’s film industry in the global market.

In addition to released films, Chinese film festivals have been held in 43 countries and regions, including Russia, Cambodia, Italy, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Germany, Britain, and South Africa, enhancing the overseas recognition of Chinese films. Meanwhile, the improvement of China’s mechanism for introducing and distributing imported films has allowed the local film market to maintain its local features while remaining in sync with the global film industry.  

The article is based on reports from media outlets including China Central Television and China Film News.