HK Media’s Jiangsu Tour: Toy Innovation in Yangzhou - "AI + Original IP" Sparks a Competitive Advantage

The Hong Kong media delegation visited YangZhou An'best Toys Co., Ltd. on March 25. The corporation representative introduced the over 3,500 original copyrighted products of the corporation and mentioned that, influenced by the US tariff policies with pressure on 40% of its export business, the corporation is responding by simplifying production techniques and optimizing raw materials, while actively promoting its AI toy product lines and expanding its market layout in Hong Kong.

The corporation is responding by simplifying production techniques and optimizing raw materials, while actively promoting its AI toy product lines and expanding its market layout in Hong Kong. Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

OEM to Copyright Leader: A 30-Year Evolution

Founded in Yangzhou, An'best Toys started as an OEM manufacturer working from client-supplied designs. Ms. Shi Qiaoyan, the head of the corporation's HR Department, pointed out that since the pure OEM model is seeing its profit margins shrink with the declining demographic dividend, An'best has made a shift toward independent design and R&D, holding more than 3,500 copyrights and 19 authorized patents. "We increasingly realize the enormous benefits that respecting originality and design brings to the corporation," she said.

The toy product released by An'best, Photo by Bastille Post

As for now, the corporation operates 8 regular designer teams, while the chairman himself leads a separate team responsible for key projects' design, which puts the total design personnel of An'best headcount among the highest in the industry.

The toy product released by An'best, Photo by Bastille Post

Design Talents Grown from University's Micro Major

To strengthen the corporation's design talent pool,  An'best has partnered with Yangzhou University to offer a micro major in plush toy design. Under the program, students can take part in hands-on design work during their senior year, with some receiving direct job offers upon graduation.

The toy product of An'best, Photo by Bastille Post

Ms. Shi explained that beyond local university partnerships, An'best also actively recruits from cities known for their strong design talent, such as Hangzhou. "Designers are currently in high demand for us," she said.

US Export Business Hit by Tariffs, Orders Stranded in Warehouses

Affected by U.S. tariff policy imposed in April 2025, An'best is facing significant pressure on its exports to the U.S., which account for approximately 35% to 40% of its total business. Ms. Shi said that the corporation has adopted three countermeasures in response: simplifying production techniques, sourcing more cost-effective alternative raw materials, and making appropriate price adjustments on large orders at customer request. "We are striving to retain continued orders from customers with a smaller profit margin," she said.

Ms. Shi Qiaoyan, the head of An'best's HR Department, Photo by Bastille Post

AI Toys Coming, but Sewing Stays Manual

Ms. Shi revealed that the corporation is collaborating with partners to develop a series of plush toys with built-in AI interactive functions, tailored to different age groups. "The development momentum is very strong right now," she said, adding that specific products will be launched soon.

She acknowledged the current limitations of AI-generated images in the design process, making the design drawing often technically difficult to realize in production. "The AI-generated images can represent an aesthetic preference, but they still cannot be used as the main design drawing for cultural and creative products," she said.

The sewing process for plush toys still relies mainly on skilled manual workers. Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

When it comes to manufacturing, the sewing process for plush toys still relies mainly on skilled manual workers. Moreover, An'best is also collaborating with Soochow University to develop new nano-antibacterial materials, which have already been applied to some plush toy products. Upon launch, these toys were marketed as "dolls with antibacterial functions," whose market response has been positive.

Photo by Bastille Post

Steady Toy Fair Attendance, Loyal Hong Kong Customers

Ms. Shi stated that the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair is an international platform that An'best yearly attends. Moreover, the corporation has already established a fixed customer base in Hong Kong. She pointed out that Hong Kong plays an important role in promoting Chinese cultural and creative IPs to the international market.

The sewing process for plush toys still relies mainly on skilled manual workers. Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

"I believe that more and more Hong Kong people will get to know An'best," she said, adding that the corporation also plans to use Hong Kong as a springboard to further expand overseas IP licensing cooperation.

The toy products of An'best, Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

Photo by Bastille Post

YangZhou An'best Toys Co., Ltd. Photo by Bastille Post

NEW YORK (AP) — In a setback for Warner Bros.′ revamped DC movie operations, “Supergirl” was absolutely no match for “Toy Story 5” at the box office, opening a distant second to the Pixar blockbuster.

After a near-record debut for an animated movie, “Toy Story 5” remained No. 1 at the box office with $70 million in domestic ticket sales and another $89.1 million overseas, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Walt Disney Co. release has in two weeks quickly amassed $585 million globally, making it one of the biggest hits of the year.

“Supergirl,” however, failed to lift off. It opened with $38 million in U.S. and Canadian theaters. It added $30 million in overseas markets.

Craig Gillespie’s superhero spinoff is the second big-screen release from James Gunn and Peter Safran, who were tapped to lead DC Studios in late 2022. Their first release, 2025’s “Superman,” grossed $618 million worldwide, a strong-enough start for Gunn and Safran.

But “Supergirl” flopped with both critics and moviegoers. Reportedly trimmed significantly after test screenings, Gillespie’s film landed poor reviews (56% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes) and a “B-” CinemaScore from audiences.

The poor opening weekend for “Supergirl” puts it behind the disappointing debuts of DC busts like “The Flash” ($55 million in 2023) and “The Green Lantern” ($53 million in 2011), and only barely ahead of “Joker: Folie à Deux” ($37.7 million in 2024).

David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm FranchiseRe, noted superhero movies no longer drive the box office like they did pre-pandemic. There are fewer yearly releases, and the box office in the genre is down approximately $3.5 billion annually from its highs in 2017-2019.

After huge successes like “Wonder Woman” ($822 million in 2017) and “Captain Marvel” ($1.13 billion in 2019), female-fronted superhero movies have also taken a downturn.

“You’ll hear general explanations like ‘the audience lost interest.’ Yes, they did,” said Gross. “But no one has been able to explain why it happened so suddenly and so completely. Why female superheroes in particular, after their sensational starts? We don’t understand it either.”

The stumble for “Supergirl,” which cost $170 million to make, comes as Warner Bros. Discovery, the film studio’s parent company, is preparing to be acquired by Paramount Skydance. David Ellison, Paramount chief executive, recently met with Gunn and Safran.

The next DC release is “Clayface,” a body horror take on the DC character, to be released in October. Gunn’s “Superman” follow-up, “Man of Tomorrow,” is currently in production. It’s dated for July 2027.

Gunn, who serves as a producer on “Supergirl,” handed directing duties to Gillespie, the filmmaker of “I, Tonya” and “Cruella.” Milly Alcock, who briefly appeared in “Superman,” stars as Supergirl, or Lara Zor-El, a younger cousin to Superman who’s more of a party girl than a world saver.

Paramount Pictures’ “Jackass: Best and Last” was the weekend’s other new wide release. The latest stunt compilation from Johnny Knoxville and company opened with a modest $8.4 million from 2,855 North American theaters. While that’s a good result for a movie that cost just $10 million to make, the 2022 installment, “Jackass Forever,” debuted with $23 million before ultimately grossing $80 million worldwide.

Olivia Wilde’s dinner party comedy “The Invite” notched one of the best per-screen averages of the year. Opening on seven screens in New York and Los Angeles, it debuted with $379,104, good for a per-screen average of $54,158.

Wilde’s third film as director stars herself, Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton as a pair of San Francisco couples who meet for an impromptu night together. A24 acquired the film after its buzzy Sundance Film Festival premiere. The indie distributor is hoping “The Invite,” which will expand next week and go nationwide on July 10, can revive the largely dormant summer comedy.

The micro-budget horror phenomenon “Obsession” continued to hold unusually strong. It took third place on the weekend with $9.8 million in its seventh weekend of release. Curry Barker’s film, made for less than $1 million, has now collected $233.9 million domestically for Focus Features, plus $108.9 million internationally.

Such legs, however, haven’t materialized for Steven Spielberg’s sci-fi thriller “Disclosure Day.” In the Universal Pictures’ third weekend of release, it slipped to fifth place with $8.1 million in domestic theaters. Spielberg's UFO tale has grossed $193.7 million globally in three weeks.

With final domestic figures being released Monday, this list factors in the estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak:

1. “Toy Story 5,” $70 million.

2. “Supergirl,” $38 million.

3. “Obsession,” $9.8 million.

4. “Jackass: Best and Last,” $8.4 million.

5. “Disclosure Day,” $8.1 million.

6. “Backrooms,” $4.3 million.

7. “Scary Movie,” $3 million.

8. “Masters of the Universe,” $2.2 million.

9. “Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Calamity," $2 million.

10. “Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu,” $1.6 million.

Director Craig Gillespie, from left, Peter Safran, Milly Alcock, and James Gunn attend the DC Studios' world premiere of "Supergirl" at The Plaza at 300 Ashland on Monday, June 22, 2026, in New York. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)