Box office for 2025 Chinese New Year film season surpasses 2 bln yuan

The 2025 Chinese New Year film season (Nov 28-Dec 31) has exceeded 2 billion yuan (about 283 million U.S. dollars) in total box office earnings as of 12:08 on Wednesday, with Zootopia 2 leading the charts, according to online platform data.

The animated Disney sequel has achieved significant success in China, breaking several records, including the highest box office earnings for an imported animated film in the country's history.

Released globally on Nov 26 across 57 countries and regions, the film has generated 818 million U.S. dollars in worldwide box office as of Monday evening, with China contributing 278 million U.S. dollars, or 33.9 percent of its global revenue. China has surpassed North America to become the film's largest market.

Meanwhile, the 2025 Chinese New Year film season features over 50 movies scheduled. The lineup includes a variety of genres, including suspense, heartfelt stories, action and science fiction, catering to diverse audiences.

Local productions continue to attract audience interest.

Among the newly scheduled releases is the war drama "Gezhi Town", which tells the lesser-known story of civilians in a remote mountain town in central China as they defend their home against Japanese aggression back in late 1930s.

The suspense category is also well represented, with "Under Current", "The Fire Raven", and "Escape from the Outland" promising thrilling narratives filled with unexpected twists.

Comedy-drama "Made in Yiwu" focuses on everyday individuals navigating bizarre and humorous circumstances. Films such as "My Father's Son", "The Lost Daughter" and "Mr. Zheng" add emotional warmth to the schedule, offering options for families and general audiences alike.

Two titles already drawing attention -- "Resurrection" and "Love Youth" -- will continue their theater runs into December.

"Resurrection" adopts a bold structure, unfolding across six chapters and spanning a century's worth of dreams and memories on screen.

"Love Youth" stands out as China's first feature film centered on adolescents living with HIV/AIDS, addressing an important issue rarely spotlighted in domestic cinema.

International films are also making a notable impact on the box office.

The latest heist thriller "Now You See Me: Now You Don't" is also sustaining strong audience interest thanks to the series' well-established fan base.

Construction of the fifth phase of Guangzhou Port's Nansha Port area, one of the major national projects, commenced in Nansha District of Guangzhou, the capital of south China's Guangdong Province, on Friday.

The project is designed with an annual container throughput capacity of 6.7 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units), according to the Guangzhou Port Group.

It has four deep-water berths, each capable of accommodating 200,000-ton container vessels, with a combined shoreline exceeding 3,800 meters.

Upon completion of the Phase V project, the total container throughput capacity of the Nansha Port area is expected to reach 35 million TEUs annually. This would place it among the world's leading single port complexes in terms of handling capacity, further solidifying Guangzhou's status as an international shipping hub.