As the National Day holiday kicks off, the Chinese mainland’s 2025 box office is on track to eclipse last year’s full-year total of 42.5 billion yuan. With a year-to-date haul of 42 billion yuan, theaters are just 500 million yuan away from surpassing 2024, nearly three months early.
Blockbuster hits have driven the surge. Animated epic “Ne Zha 2” has alone earned over 15.4 billion yuan, accounting for more than a third of ticket sales so far. Crime comedy “Detective Chinatown 1900” has attracted 3.6 billion yuan, while summer sensations like “Dead to Rights” (3 billion yuan) and “Nobody” (1.6 billion yuan)—now the highest-grossing 2D animated feature on the mainland—have kept audiences engaged all season.
Historical drama “Evil Unbound,” shedding light on World War II events, added 1.5 billion yuan in September, ranking fifth among 2025 releases. After rebounding to 54.9 billion yuan in 2023, the mainland market dipped to 42.5 billion yuan in 2024. Analysts believe 2025 could exceed the 50 billion yuan milestone, given the current momentum.
Data from ticketing platform Maoyan shows holiday previews and pre-sales topping 100 million yuan by midday. Early favorites include Chen Kaige’s war epic “The Volunteers: Peace at Last,” the fantasy sequel “A Writer’s Odyssey II,” and crime thriller “Sound of Silence.” Despite a crowded slate, the extended eight-day holiday may help word-of-mouth titles gain traction.
Industry experts point to an IP-driven boom: sequels and franchises now dominate the lineup, mirroring Hollywood’s playbook. From the conclusion of a popular trilogy to ambitious fantasy and animated series launches, the Chinese mainland’s film industry is maturing into an IP powerhouse.
As the holiday window unfolds, all eyes are on whether the market can clear the symbolic 50-billion-yuan mark, further cementing the Chinese mainland’s status as one of the world’s most dynamic cinemas.
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China's 2025 box office to surpass 2024 as holiday releases roll out
cgtn.com
