China's domestic box office has repeatedly set new records this year, demonstrating strong momentum, with high-quality animated films serving as the core driver behind this surge.
"Ne Zha 2", with a box office exceeding 15.4 billion yuan (about 2.18 billion U.S. dollars), ranks as the highest-grossing animated film in global cinematic history. "Nobody", earning over 1.719 billion yuan (about 243 million U.S. dollars), has become China's highest-grossing domestic 2D animated film.
"Zootopia 2" achieved a remarkable single-day box office of 738 million yuan (about 104 million U.S. dollars) on its opening weekend, setting a record for the highest single-day earnings for an imported film in Chinese mainland.
These consecutive record-breaking performances indicate an upgrading consumption demand within China's film market, where audiences are increasingly willing to pay for high-quality content.
"The Chinese film market in 2025 is indeed splendid and diverse. It can be said to be a very gratifying result achieved through the combined efforts of Chinese cinema across multiple dimensions: artistic creation, policy guidance, technological innovation, and market expansion," said Hu Zhifeng, dean of School of Arts and Communication at Beijing Normal University.
The blockbuster films have also fueled a consumption boom for related merchandise.
The cumulative sales of "Ne Zha 2" derivatives have reached tens of billions of yuan.
The total sales of end products driven by the licensing and marketing collaborations for "Nobody" have exceeded 2.2 billion yuan (about 311 million U.S. dollars).
Over the past year, licensing business for the "Zootopia" IP in China has tripled, with over 2,000 related products expected to be launched by the end of 2025.
China's film industry is accelerating its transformation from a "box office economy" to a "diverse consumption ecosystem."
Promotional campaigns for travel destinations, food, and tourist sites featured in films have also established a connection between cinemas and culture, tourism, consumption, social interaction, and daily life, making the film industry a significant engine driving consumption growth.
"Film is far more than box office numbers. It is a very special carrier within the national economy. In fact, the consumer cultural market can find much more room for expansion in this field in the future," said Sun Xianghui, president of China Taiwan and Hong Kong Film Research Association.
Animated films propel China’s box office records, expand consumer ecosystem
