China Film Favors Action Over Laughs in 2025

New research unveiled at the 7th Hainan Island International Film Festival reveals a significant shift in Chinese audience preferences for 2025. Animation, action, and historical war films achieved the highest satisfaction scores, with titles like "Dead to Rights" and "Ne Zha 2" leading both satisfaction and box office returns. This marks a sharp contrast to the declining popularity of comedies and romance films, which failed to appear in the top satisfaction rankings.

The Chinese film market has experienced robust growth, with the box office grossing $6.7 billion to date in 2025, surpassing 2024's total. Local productions accounted for over 83% of this revenue. Despite a global trend of slow growth in film production, China's market demonstrates resilience, though international successes like "Zootopia 2" highlight the continued interdependence between Hollywood and Chinese audiences.

Hainan Island is positioning itself as an attractive location for international filmmakers, especially with its upcoming Free Trade Port designation on December 18. Incentives include substantial subsidies for talent, visa-free entry for numerous nationalities, zero tariffs on imported equipment, and favorable regulations for foreign-owned post-production companies.