China‘s theatrical market staged a robust recovery in 2025, with total box office reaching RMB51.83 billion ($7.41 billion) and admissions climbing to 1.24 billion – both representing year-over-year increases exceeding 20%, according to a new report from Maoyan Entertainment’s research division.
In 2024, the China box office plummeted 23% to $5.8 billion. The 2025 rebound was fueled primarily by animated titles and IP-driven franchises, with 57 animated films generating over RMB25 billion ($3.57 billion) in revenue – representing nearly half of the year’s total gross. Leading the charge were local sequel “Ne Zha 2” ($2.13 billion) and Disney’s “Zootopia 2” ($558.3 million), which delivered exceptional box office performance.
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