China’s Animation Boom Drives Box Office Surge at CineAsia

As delegates from China ’s film industry gathered in Bangkok for this year’s CineAsia (Dec. 8-11), they carried with them something that had been in short supply the past few years: momentum. A revitalized box office and an expectations-heavy holiday slate have given the sector reason to look ahead with something close to optimism.

Back home, headlines have been dominated for weeks by Disney’s Zootopia 2 and its record-breaking run, with around $430 million — and counting — in takings for a non-local animated film. China’s 2025 box office surpassed last year’s $5.8 billion total in early October, and the final tally is expected to far exceed 2024 once the performances of Zootopia 2 and the upcoming Avatar: Fire and Ash (December 19) are factored in.

As delegates from China