On January 1, 2026, the China Film Administration announced that the Chinese mainland's film market closed 2025 with a bang: total box-office revenue hit 51.832 billion yuan (about $7.4 billion). 🍿💥
Urban cinema attendance surged to 1.238 billion tickets sold, and domestic films dominated—earning 41.293 billion yuan, nearly 80% of the total. Homegrown hits showed incredible strength, with 51 films surpassing the 100-million-yuan mark, including 33 domestic favorites.
Cinema infrastructure also leveled up: urban theaters added 2,219 new screens, bringing the nationwide total to 93,187 screens. Rural areas weren’t left behind—8.01 million public screenings in 2025 entertained some 394 million viewers outside the cities.
The 2025 New Year film season was another highlight, raking in over 5.3 billion yuan—making it the second-highest holiday period in the Chinese mainland’s history. 🎉
Animation stole the show! Four animated films ranked among the year's top 10: 'Ne Zha 2', 'Zootopia 2', 'Nobody', and 'Boonie Bears: Future Reborn' dominated the box office, proving that animated stories have universal appeal. 🐉🦁🌟
Overall, 2025 was a year of steady growth and diversity for the Chinese mainland’s film industry. From blockbuster animations to expanding screens, the market’s vitality points to a bright future—both at home and on the global stage. 🎬🌍
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
