China: Imported films gain significant momentum in China.

Storyline Imported films gain significant momentum in China Imported films have gained significant momentum in China this year, with data showing increases in both the number of foreign films shown and their box office revenues. According to the China Film Group Corporation, 58 imported films were screened in the first half of 2026, generating a combined box office of about $494 million U.S. dollars, roughly 93 million dollars more than last year. The number of imported films, meanwhile, rose from 9 percent to 19 percent. Those films include Avatar 3, which earned about $179 million so far, and Zootopia 2, which had its top global performance in China. Other popular films included Spider-Man: Brand New Day which grossed about $123 million in its opening week, and Christopher Nolan’s film “The Odyssey”. Moviegoer: "This summer we've watched Minions and Monsters, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey." The strong box office performance of imported films in China has long attracted global industry attention. Huai Wei, deputy general manager, China Film Co-Production Corporation: "Overseas studios have always regarded China as a huge, untapped 'gold mine' with great potential. Chinese audiences' perspectives on the world have also become more diverse – which has injected great vigor and vitality into the film market." International consulting firms remain optimistic about China's film market. In their 2025-2029 Global Entertainment and Media Outlook, PricewaterhouseCoopers projects that China's box office compound annual growth rate will reach 5.25 percent, and that China's share of the global box office will rise to 22 percent. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]