Chinese blockbusters go global

Following the Chinese New Year holiday, the animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" continued its strong momentum, surpassing the 2015 sci-fi epic "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" to claim the top spot in the all-time box office rankings for a single market. As of February 7, it had grossed more than $930 million. Now, it is expanding globally, alongside two other major Chinese releases: "Detective Chinatown 1900" and "Creation of the Gods 2".

The 2025 Chinese New Year holiday — traditionally the busiest time for moviegoing in China — saw fierce competition among five blockbuster films, all presented in IMAX format. This resulted in record-breaking figures for IMAX as well. According to IMAX Corporation (NYSE: IMAX), the company achieved its highest-ever Chinese New Year box office, grossing over $53 million over the seven-day holiday period ending February 4. IMAX also recorded its highest-ever attendance, with 5.5 million admissions nationwide, and captured a market-leading 4.3-percent share of holiday earnings — despite being shown on only 1 percent of screens. Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX, remarked, "This is a shot of adrenaline for moviegoing in China that comes at just the right time, with a tentpole-heavy slate of local-language and Hollywood films ahead for 2025."

IMAX is continuing to expand its strategy of bringing local-language films to international audiences, building on its 2023 success with the Chinese sci-fi hit "The Wandering Earth 2". "Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force" and "Detective Chinatown 1900" have been released in select IMAX locations across 11 countries, generating more than $1.2 million outside China. Meanwhile, "Ne Zha 2" premiered exclusively in IMAX theaters in Australia and New Zealand on February 6, with a North American and European premiere set for February 12, followed by a public release on February 14.