China’s 2025 box office has already eclipsed last year’s total, marking a major milestone for the market as the National Day holiday gets underway. As of 5 p.m. on Thursday, the total box office for the 2025 National Day holiday, including presales, has exceeded 600 million yuan (around $84 million).
According to data from ticketing platform Maoyan, as of early Thursday afternoon, the year-to-date grosses, including presales, reached 42.5 billion yuan (about $5.98 billion), surpassing the full-year haul of 2024.
Local films continue to dominate the market, accounting for nearly 90 percent of ticket sales, with all ten of the year’s top earners being domestic productions.
To date, more than 300 films have been released nationwide this year, covering various genres including history, comedy, animation, fantasy and drama.
Thirteen films are scheduled for release during the National Day holiday, each with its own highlights.
Through a grand narrative, the historical film “The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death” aims to restore history and pay tribute to heroes, resonating with the audience. Meanwhile, the animated film “Three Kingdoms: Starlit Heroes” reimagines the classic from an innovative perspective, appealing to both parents and children.
Chinese films going global
A growing number of Chinese films have integrated traditional cultural elements and contemporary values into their creation. By adopting innovative narrative techniques and cutting-edge technologies, the films align with the aesthetic tastes and spiritual pursuits of Chinese viewers and hold the potential to reach the global market, with a number of films gaining popularity among overseas audiences.
China’s first 8K movie shot in space, titled “Shenzhou 13,” has been screened in countries such as the UK, Pakistan, Nigeria and Mexico, enabling international audiences to gain a deeper understanding of China and the lives and aspirations of the Chinese people.
The animated feature “Ne Zha 2” has grossed over 15.44 billion yuan globally, with overseas box office earnings exceeding 400 million yuan, ranking fifth on the all-time global box office chart.
“Dead To Rights,” a Chinese historical film about the 1937 Nanjing Massacre, has grossed over 3 billion yuan worldwide. The film garnered widespread popularity among moviegoers in countries such as the United States, Canada and Germany, enabling more international viewers to remember history and cherish peace through the power of cinema.
Movie posters are seen at a local cinema in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei Province, August 31, 2025. /VCG
New momentum for economic growth
Since 2025, China’s film industry has been transitioning from a single box-office economy to a diverse consumption ecosystem. Through the integration of film and tourism, as well as initiatives such as the “ticket-stub economy,” films have become a new engine for stimulating consumption and driving economic growth.
The “ticket-stub economy” refers to a model in which tickets from transportation services, cultural and tourism activities, and sports events can be used to enjoy discounts, redeem points, or unlock other benefits in the course of subsequent spending.
This year, the National Film Administration and China Media Group jointly launched the “China Film Consumption Year,” rolling out a series of activities to fully leverage the positive role of films in boosting consumption, develop the “ticket-stub economy,” and inject new momentum into economic development.
Meanwhile, cities and provinces such as Beijing, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Henan, Hubei, Sichuan and Yunnan have pooled resources to launch “film + food” consumption subsidies, empowering the development of local cultural tourism, catering and related sectors.
