The Blue Book of China Film 2025, edited by academics from Peking and Zhejiang Universities, debuted at the Tokyo International Film Festival's TIFFCOM market, highlighting the Chinese cinema industry's challenges and renewal paths. It reports a 22.6% drop in 2024 box office revenue to RMB42.5 billion amid audience fragmentation, while pointing to growth in mid-budget films, comedies, and AI-driven projects like 'Ne Zha 2'. The launch sparked discussions on sustainable production and global potential.
Event Overview
The Blue Book of China Film 2025 was launched at TIFFCOM on November 1, 2025, framing Chinese cinema at a crossroads. Jointly edited by Chen Xuguang of Peking University and Fan Zhizhong of Zhejiang University, the report analyzes 2024's industry performance and future trends.
2024 Industry Realities
Box office revenue fell 22.6% year-on-year to RMB42.5 billion ($5.75 billion), with admissions declining 28.6% despite 91,000 active screens. Audiences are shifting to short-form video, gaming, and streaming, and the average viewer age is rising. However, mid- to low-budget realist dramas, family-themed films, and comedies maintained theatrical interest.
Emerging Trends
The report identifies key shifts: female-directed and family-ethics dramas, such as 'YOLO,' 'Something Wonderful,' and 'Like a Rolling Stone,' have reshaped mainstream narratives. Comedies captured 36% of 2024 box office, led by 'Successor' and 'Johnny Keep Walking.' Documentaries like 'Caught by the Tides,' 'The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru,' and 'Ms. Hu’s Garden' marked a nonfiction revival. AI production and film-game convergence are highlighted as growth areas, with examples including 'Black Myth: Wukong' and 'Ne Zha 2,' which integrate cinematic storytelling with interactive elements.
Future Outlook and Insights
The Blue Book emphasizes diversified financing, balanced film scales, and deeper AI and animation integration for industrialized production. Chen Xuguang, in the Q&A, addressed financial volatility from rising budgets, advocating 'serial operation' for sustainability. He stressed diversifying revenue via licensing, merchandising, and cultural-tourism tie-ins, while nurturing medium- and low-budget films. Chen questioned if China can sustain box-office peaks, globalize its myths, and develop a large-scale creative ecosystem akin to Disney.