China’s box office remained steady but subdued over the April 25–27 weekend, with Cococartoon’s animated megahit “Ne Zha 2” once again topping the charts.
The long-running title earned RMB21.9 million ($3 million) for the weekend, pushing its cumulative gross to $2.12 billion, according to Artisan Gateway. Now in its thirteenth weekend of release, “Ne Zha 2” continues to extend its record as the country’s highest-grossing film of 2025.
“We Girls,” produced by Meila Media, held second place with $2.1 million. The prison-set female ensemble drama now has a cumulative gross standing at $30.7 million after four weekends in theaters.
New opener “Bocchi the Rock! Recap Part 1” from Aniplex, based on the popular anime series, debuted in third place with $1.3 million.
“Fox Hunt,” the political thriller about China’s global anti-corruption campaign, from Shanghai Film Group, landed in fourth with $1.3 million. Its cumulative gross has now climbed to $11.5 million.
Warner Bros.’ and Legendary’s “A Minecraft Movie” slipped to fifth place with $1.1 million. The film’s total stands at $25.7 million following four weekends on release.
Total weekend box office revenue reached $13.5 million, a clear slowdown compared to recent weeks. However, China’s year-to-date box office has now climbed to $3.54 billion, representing a 38.2% increase over the same period in 2024.
The market is expected to rebound strongly with the upcoming May Day holiday, one of the year’s most lucrative box office periods, as a wave of new releases prepares to hit theaters. As many as 10 films are expected to release over the five-day holiday frame, including Andrew Lau’s “The Dumpling Queen,” starring Ma Li, Herman Yau’s “The Gilded Game,” starring Andy Lau, and Marvel’s “Thunderbolts*.”
