US$1.38 billion in just 7 days?! China’s 2025 Spring Festival box office breaks global records

As of noon, February 5, box office revenue from China’s 2025 Spring Festival has exceeded 10 billion yuan (about US$1.38 billion) ! The total number of moviegoers during the 2025 Spring Festival exceeded 187 million, exceeding the total number of moviegoers during the 2024 Spring Festival, breaking the record of moviegoers during the Spring Festival in Chinese film history!

Among the six domestically produced films, Nezha 2 took the lead with 5.4 billion yuan of box office revenue. Detective Chinatown 1900, Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force, and The Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Great Hero ranked second to fourth. Animate film Boonie Bears: Future Reborn and military-themed film Operation Leviathan are the follow-ups.

The booming Spring Festival film revenue is a response to the dual power of Chinese film technology and culture, and it has also triggered the urgent maturity of Chinese film typology creation. The visual effects level of Spring Festival films is amazing. For example, “Nezha 2” boasts nearly 2,000 visual effects sequences and a creative team exceeding 4,000 individuals. The “torrent battle” in “Nezha 2” is the pinnacle of highlight production. With more than 200 million characters, every frame challenges the limits of special effects production. The production team used real intelligent characters to build a grand scene similar to the surging waves. This unique design not only shows the rhythmic sense of oriental aesthetics but also gives the audience a visual image of the periphery.

Since 2016, the Spring Festival box office has increased from 3 billion to 9.51 billion yuan (from US$ 0.43 billion to US$ 1.36 billion), becoming the largest film market across the globe. This year’s Spring Festival is full of blockbusters, which is the most prominent Spring Festival, allowing theaters, especially the highlight halls, to give full play to their own advantages and also increasing the immersive movie-watching experience for people.

According to the comparison of professional schedules of Lighthouse, taking IMAX theaters as an example, this year’s IMAX theater box office revenue has exceeded 360 million yuan (US$51.4 million), which has increased by more than 80% compared with the same period last year.

At the same time, setting a new record at the box office gives confidence to film and television industry players.

Zhang Shuna, assistant to the general manager of Shanghai Film Group, said that the technical accumulation of Chinese films in the fields of special effects and virtual production may attract emerging markets such as Southeast Asia and the Middle East to seek technical cooperation and form “Chinese standard” output and drive the global sales of peripheral products (such as trendy toys and games) to form a cross-cultural brand effect.

Chen Dan, an expert at the Yangtze River Delta Film Market Research Center, said: “The performance of “Nezha 2″ proves that the audience still likes to go to the cinema. It is not the “Cold Winter for the China film market”, as some experts and film directors complained. As long as the film is good, it can create unlimited possibilities during the Spring Festival. The market encourages innovation, and a good story is still the magic weapon of ownership.”

Compared with the film markets of other countries, the Chinese film market has the following main characteristics:

1. Market potential and preference changes

Rapid growth: The Chinese box office has been growing at a much faster pace than other major markets, making it the world’s largest film market. The rise of the middle class and the continuous improvement of consumption power have led to an increasing demand for high-quality film content. In addition, the number of Chinese cinemas has increased significantly in recent years, providing audiences with a more convenient viewing experience.

Dominance of domestic films: Domestic films have significantly improved in quality and sales, and Chinese audiences have an increasingly strong demand for local culture and themes. They are more inclined to watch domestic films that are close to their own lives and values. It has formed a fierce competition with imported blockbusters.

2. Technological progress and upgrade of viewing experience

Technological advancement: AR, VR, and other technologies are gradually being applied in film production and are expected to create a more immersive viewing experience in the future. The application of these technologies will attract more audiences to the cinema and enhance the immersion and interactivity of viewing.

Upgrade of viewing experience: With the continuous advancement of film technology, the viewing experience will also be comprehensively upgraded. High-definition picture quality, surround sound, comfortable cinema seats, etc. will become standard in cinemas, providing audiences with a better viewing environment.

3. Integration of digital streaming and cinemas

Streaming Expansion: Online streaming platforms have seen significant growth in China, disrupting traditional film distribution models. The boundaries between cinemas and the internet may be further blurred, and the distribution methods of movies will be more diversified. Similarly, pirated and unauthorized online streaming continue to pose a threat to the revenue sources of the Chinese film industry.

Integration development trend: The integration of digital streaming and cinemas will become a major trend in the future. Audiences can choose different viewing methods according to their preferences and needs, and filmmakers can also distribute and promote through multiple channels.

4. The rise of young audience groups

Main audience groups: Generation Z and millennials have become the main audience groups, and they have higher expectations for film content, production quality and viewing experience.

Market trends: This generation of audiences is more inclined to explore new types of works. How to seize this market trend will be a huge challenge and opportunity in the future. Filmmakers need to pay more attention to the preferences and needs of young audiences and produce more films that suit their tastes.

5. Challenges and opportunities coexist

Intensified market competition: With the gradual recovery of the film market and the continuous improvement of audience demand, market competition will also become more intense. Filmmakers need to continuously improve their own strength and quality in order to drive in the market.

Policy guarantee and standardized development: The government’s support for the film industry is constantly increasing, and it is also strengthening industry norms and supervision. This will provide guarantees for the healthy development of the film industry.

In the future, the Chinese film industry will continue to face more opportunities and challenges, and it needs to continuously improve its own advantages and quality to adapt to market changes and needs.