The Chinese film market maintains strong growth momentum

Lighthouse Professional Edition data shows that as of March 11, 33 movies have been scheduled for release in March this year, of which 11 are overseas imports, accounting for 33%. In March last year, 34 movies were released, including 7 overseas imports, accounting for 20%. Compared to last year, the proportion of imported films has significantly increased this March.

In addition to the increase in the number of overseas import films, some popular filmmakers and main creative teams have also come to China to actively participate in online and offline events. For example, the British film “Non-Exhaustive List,” released on March 8, stars Pei Chunhua, who visited China in January to attend a forum and set up a Xiaohongshu account to promote the film in fluent Chinese; the American film “Super Madi,” scheduled for release on March 20, will have director Josh Safdie and star Timothy Chalamet appear at the Beijing premiere. Timothy Chalamet also opened a Xiaohongshu account, engaging with fans by filming Chinese “internet jokes.”

According to incomplete statistics, the main creative teams of overseas imported films such as “Jurassic World: Rebirth,” “Superman,” “Zootopia 2,” and “Avatar 3,” scheduled for release in 2025, have all visited China to promote their films. The promotional methods are diverse and more down-to-earth.

From the increase in imported film numbers to the gathering of creative teams in China, and to multiple films breaking box office records… this all proves the “charm” of China’s film market. As of January 2026, Disney’s animated film “Zootopia 2” surpassed $1.703 billion worldwide, overtaking “Inside Out 2” to become the highest-grossing animated film in Hollywood history. In mainland China alone, the total box office reached 4.369 billion yuan (about $630 million), accounting for 37% of its global total. China is not only the film’s largest global market but also surpassed “Avengers: Endgame” to become the top import film in Chinese film history.

In comparison, “Zootopia 2” earned $393.4 million in North America, only about 60% of the Chinese market. In other major markets like France and Japan, the film’s box office did not exceed $100 million. Chinese audiences’ genuine spending has driven this animated film to top the charts both domestically and internationally.

The box office performance of “Avatar 3” also confirms this trend. As of January 2026, the film’s global gross reached $1.32 billion, with China’s cumulative box office at $155.4 million, far surpassing France ($98.9 million), Germany ($80.3 million), and other traditional markets. The Chinese film market continues to lead globally, maintaining the top spot in overseas box office for this film for several consecutive weeks.

An industry film critic told Securities Daily that in 2025, North American total box office reached $8.87 billion, which is not considered a good result compared to past achievements in the North American market and did not meet the industry’s expected $9 billion target.

Additionally, since 2026, China’s film market has maintained strong growth. As of 6:30 p.m. on March 11, the total box office in China reached 10.959 billion yuan, about to surpass 11 billion yuan (approximately $1.6 billion), accounting for over 28% of the global film market, about $337 million more than North America, continuing to lead the world.

Yang Huaiyu, senior researcher at Shanghai Summer Solstice Consulting Management Co., Ltd., told Securities Daily, “‘Nezha: The Devil’s Child Comes to the Sea’ alone has become the top animated box office in the world based on China’s single market, confirming China’s consumer potential in the film industry. The achievements of ‘Zootopia 2’ and ‘Avatar 3’ have proven that China’s film market is becoming the ‘core venue’ of the global film industry.”