What are the dominant trends in Chinese cinema according to the 2025 Blue Book?

Female-directed and family-ethics dramas, comedy, and documentaries have reshaped mainstream storytelling in China.

How has AI-driven production and film-game convergence impacted the Chinese film industry?

AI-driven production and film-game convergence have emerged as new growth engines, exemplified by "Black Myth: Wukong" and "Ne Zha 2," which blend cinematic storytelling with interactive structures.

What challenges does the Chinese film industry face, and what are the recommendations to address them?

The industry faces declining box office revenue and fragmented audiences, but must focus on diversified financing, balanced scale, and greater integration of AI and animation into industrialized production to maintain its box-office peaks, globalize its myths, and build its own large-scale creative ecosystem.

Home / Arts and Entertainment / China's Film Industry at Crossroads: Decline and Renewal Coexist

China's Film Industry at Crossroads: Decline and Renewal Coexist

2 Nov

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Summary

Annual box office revenue in 2024 fell 22.6% to RMB42.5 billion ($5.75 billion)
Female-directed and family-ethics dramas reshape mainstream storytelling
AI-driven production and film-game convergence emerge as new growth engines

China's Film Industry at Crossroads: Decline and Renewal Coexist

According to a recent report, China's film industry is at a crossroads between crisis and renewal. In 2024, the annual box office revenue fell 22.6% year-on-year to RMB42.5 billion ($5.75 billion), with admissions down 28.6% despite 91,000 active screens. Audiences have fragmented across short-form video, gaming, and streaming, while the average viewer age continues to rise.

However, the industry has seen some positive trends. Female-directed and family-ethics dramas have reshaped mainstream storytelling, with films like "YOLO," "Something Wonderful," and "Like a Rolling Stone" gaining popularity. Comedy also accounted for 36% of box-office revenue in 2024, driven by titles such as "Successor" and "Johnny Keep Walking." Documentaries have also seen a revival, with films like "Caught by the Tides," "The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru," and "Ms. Hu's Garden" signaling a growing interest in cultural and social nonfiction.