A Chinese finance review argues that the US-China trade friction may have dented Hollywood's box office in China by eroding audience goodwill, using cinema data from 2017 to 2019. The finding sits alongside other explanations, from weaker films to stronger domestic competition.
Short and medium-length series are becoming a serious business in China, with one show's first season reportedly earning over 33 million yuan in revenue sharing. New titles like 'Bionic Maze' and 'The Appraisal' are testing whether compact storytelling can sustain a profitable model.
Hengdian, China's largest film studio complex, is renting idle backlot sets to ordinary tourists for 388 yuan a day, letting visitors star in their own short films. The pivot comes as the number of short-drama crews filming there has fallen sharply year on year.
The Three-Body Problem spin-off prequel Sanxingdui: Future Past is the first AI-generated feature to get a Chinese theatrical release certificate and sell tickets. Made by Bona Film Group's AI studio on a self-built platform, it shows how far synthetic filmmaking has come and where it still falls short.
A wave of new titles lands in Chinese cinemas, led by the romance drama 去你的岛 at 7.5 and the ensemble film 活色生香 at 7.0. The slate mixes mainland animation, British imports and a Keanu Reeves re-release.
A viral Chinese essay asks where once-ubiquitous stars go when the spotlight moves on, using actor Hu Yitian's reported 673 days without a shoot as its centerpiece. It's a window into how fast fame arrives and fades in China's entertainment industry.
Currie Barker's low-budget horror film Obsession, an original script that became one of the decade's biggest original theatrical hits, arrives on Netflix on November 17 after grossing over $500 million worldwide.
Veteran Chinese actress Zhou Xun shared the best actress prize at the 31st Busan International Film Festival, days before her 52nd birthday. The tearful acceptance speech became one of the most-shared entertainment moments of the week in China.
China's film and sports authorities have launched a joint push to screen live sports in cinemas, pairing movie tickets with match tickets and discounts. Over a thousand cinemas have already tested the idea, from football and basketball to esports.
A short story from a Song Dynasty bestseller follows a Quanzhou trader who grew rich in overseas commerce, then watched fortune curdle into violence. It survives as a vivid window into China's medieval maritime trade.
Resident Evil: Night of the Outbreak, a live-action film adapted from the survival-horror video game series, has passed 304 million yuan at the Chinese box office in its first ten days. It blends game lore with a distinctly Chinese setting.
Chen Sicheng's crime thriller The Trace, starring Zhang Yi and Ma Li, is drawing strong reviews in Chinese cinemas. It arrives as a wave of revived crime franchises tests how far a familiar title can stretch.
At 76, Zhang Yimou still delivers China's biggest holiday films, while 75-year-old Zhang Jizhong keeps working on camera. A viral essay asks what fame and fortune actually bought them.
A new Resident Evil movie directed by Zach Cregger has pulled far more people back into the games, with daily active players across five major titles rising from about 500,000 to 750,000 between late August and late September.
Paramount has closed its roughly $110 billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery, creating a studio giant called Skydance that now carries a heavy debt load. The bet: blockbuster franchises must generate enough cash to fund both repayment and the next wave of shows.
Chinese film fans spent the 2026 National Day holiday rating a crowded slate of new releases on Douban, from a Hong Kong action thriller starring Louis Koo to a Peppa Pig holiday special and an Egyptian drama.
A Chinese crime film pulled out of theaters five days after release with under 4.5 million yuan earned. It's part of a quiet pattern: dozens of post-release withdrawals in four years, and only one that ever came back.
China's 2026 National Day holiday saw travelers abandon crowded southern hotspots for historic inland cities like Luoyang, Kaifeng and Datong. The shift reflects a broader move toward slower, culture-focused trips and county-level experiences.
A low-budget Chaoshan-dialect movie about overseas Chinese letters became an unexpected hit, sending visitors to Shantou's heritage sites and museums. The film shows how a small regional story can become a city's cultural asset.
Zach Cregger's new Resident Evil film has crossed $250 million worldwide in under three weeks, built around an original character instead of the games' famous heroes. Its budget was roughly $75-80 million.
Six new films opened across China for the National Day holiday, from a husband-and-wife comedy to a Hong Kong crime drama starring Louis Koo. The crowded slate shows how studios chase the year's biggest box-office window.
An animated film about the Eight Immortals, a classic Chinese folk tale, has crossed 2 billion yuan and may become this year's top-grossing animated release, prompting debate about whether Chinese animation leans too heavily on mythology.
Two veteran stars' health struggles in the same week have renewed debate about grueling hours in China's entertainment industry. Fans are asking whether the business can protect the people who make it shine.
Once the breakout star of Tiny Times, 35-year-old actor Chen Xuedong has seen 11 of his film and TV titles pulled from streaming and four surgeries in two years. Now he needs help with simple daily tasks.
Paramount's 'Beast Heart,' starring Brad Pitt as a man stranded in the wilderness with his loyal dog Odin, hit Chinese cinemas on September 30. Advance screenings earned warm praise for its emotional human-animal bond.
A wave of fresh releases is landing in Chinese theaters, from horror film Dead Zone Chronicles to the animated Red Boy: King of Flaming Mountain. The mix of low-budget scares and big-name directors shows how varied mainland cinema has become.
A 160-minute crime thriller starring Zhu Yilong leads a crowded National Day slate of fourteen films, while a 1994 Hollywood classic and a 2008 Pixar hit also crowd Chinese screens.
Twelve films crowd China's 2026 National Day holiday slate, with presales past 23 million yuan but no dominant blockbuster in sight. The spread spans crime thrillers, family comedy, animation and imported action, opening from September 30 to October 5.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Brand New Day has crossed $2.5 billion worldwide, with a digital release reportedly set for October 6. Chinese audiences helped power the film after its July 29 mainland debut.
Quentin Tarantino's re-edited Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair has landed in Chinese cinemas at 276 minutes, the longest mainstream release in recent memory, while a packed slate of local and imported films competes for autumn audiences.
A special extended version of the 2019 Marvel blockbuster earned 83.4 million yuan to win China's 2026 Mid-Autumn holiday frame, which totaled 269 million yuan. Chinese-made films filled most of the rest of the chart.
A wave of Chinese releases is filling mainland screens this season, led by Wen Muye's food drama Welcome to the Dragon Restaurant and Han Yan's crime thriller Empty Gun. Their performance will test whether homegrown films can keep momentum after a strong summer.
The sequel to China's 2023 workplace comedy hit 'Johnny Keep Walking!' has landed in mainland cinemas with a fresh cast led by Zhang Ruoyun, Bai Ke and Gao Ye. Early audience scores sit at a middling 6.6, far below the original's word-of-mouth triumph.
A new Chinese animated film about the legendary Eight Immortals has earned a rare 8.2 rating on the review site Douban, emerging as the standout title in the country's latest cinema lineup.
China's movie listings are crowded with global blockbusters and local contenders this week, from Christopher Nolan's Homer adaptation to a Quentin Tarantino double feature. Domestic titles like Wen Muye's Welcome to the Dragon Restaurant and a new workplace comedy are also drawing attention.
Sony's Resident Evil: Night of the Outbreak will hit mainland Chinese theaters on October 5, the franchise's first release there since 2017. The film has already earned about $80 million in North America.
Two recent Chinese films, including the September release Burning Dad, are pushing audiences to question the idea that family love must be proven through sacrifice. Critics and viewers say the debate reflects a quiet shift in how Chinese families talk about duty and selfhood.
Chinese cinemas are offering a rich mix of domestic dramas, comedies, and international epics this week, from a culinary road trip to a Quentin Tarantino double bill. Audiences can also revisit classics like 'The Shawshank Redemption' on the big screen.
Chinese cinemas are rolling out a diverse slate this week, from the historical epic 'Dunhuang Heroes' to Quentin Tarantino's 'Kill Bill' re-release, while new comedies and thrillers keep audiences entertained.
Chinese cinemas are juggling a packed slate this week — from a Tang-dynasty epic to Nolan's Odyssey — while Hong Kong veterans Tony Leung Ka-fai and Yu Qian share the screen in a new crime comedy.
