China's 2025 total box office has surpassed 11 billion yuan (about 1.5 billion U.S. dollars) as of 14:43 on Tuesday, including real-time presales, driven by the strong performance of Spring Festival films.
By 10:00 Tuesday morning, over 170 million tickets had been sold during this Spring Festival, beating last year’s total and setting a new all-time high for movie attendance during the holiday.
This year's Spring Festival lineup is a feast of Chinese film IPs, featuring a diverse range of genres including martial arts, mythology, and animation. Multiple sequels and classic adaptations have hit theaters, attracting a wide audience.
Cinemas are adjusting the number of screenings daily based on audience ratings to meet demand. Experts note that a film's performance is influenced by a variety of factors beyond just its market positioning.
"The quality of the film is the core, including the story, audio-visual effects, and character development, all of which affect audience reviews. Word-of-mouth helps audiences share and discuss the film both online and offline, increasing its popularity. Positive word-of-mouth attracts more viewers to the cinema and boosts box office performance," said Ren Yue, vice president of China Film Group Corporation.
Data shows that over 30 percent of viewers for Ne Zha 2 watch the film in groups. Most films have ratings above 9.3 out of 10. Industry insiders are optimistic that this Spring Festival will set a new record for both the highest box office and the best word-of-mouth, laying a solid foundation for the stable growth of the film market in 2025.
The National Film Administration launched a nationwide film consumption season during this Spring Festival, with a total subsidy of no less than 600 million yuan (about 83 million U.S. dollars) for moviegoers, allowing audiences to enjoy the film feast more affordably.
"Third-party apps have notified me that many films are now subsidized to 19.9 yuan (about 2.8 U.S. dollars) during the Spring Festival. We think it's really worth it to come and watch a few movies at this price," said a moviegoer.
"Starting from January 29, cinemas received subsidies. Third-party platforms offer 15-yuan movie tickets all day long, and the subsidy intensity during the Spring Festival is unprecedented," said Wu Ying, manager of the China Film International Theater in Beijing.
Taopiaopiao, a leading ticketing platform in China, is taking active steps to boost moviegoers' enthusiasm. The platform's manager said that this year, Taopiaopiao will invest over 100 million yuan (about 14 million U.S. dollars) in ticket subsidies during the Spring Festival, supporting moviegoers in key regions.
China's 2025 box office surpasses 11 billion yuan
China's 2025 box office surpasses 11 billion yuan
China's 2025 box office surpasses 11 billion yuan
