According to Artisan Gateway, James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ashes continues to dominate the Chinese box office in the December 26-28 window, adding RMB 166.4 million ($23.4 million), bringing the domestic total to RMB 700 million ($98.6 million).
Disney’s “Zootopia 2” remained in second place, grossing $15.2 million in its fifth weekend. The animated sequel has now grossed $558.3 million in China, cementing its place as one of the highest-grossing films on the market this year.
Maoyan Movie’s new film “The Fire Raven” came in third place with $2.8 million. The crime thriller, directed and written by Sam Quah, focuses on a cold case involving the murder of a student in the city of Douma, as witnesses and police officers become entangled in a wider web of corruption and retaliation. The film stars Peng Yuchan, Alan Aruna, and Zhang Ning.
NCM Television’s romantic drama “Love Is Hard” came in at No. 4 with $2.1 million, making it the highest grosser with $4 million. The third installment of the Qing Sheng series, co-written and directed by Dong Xu, centers on a marriage strained by a crisis of trust, with elaborate plans and misunderstandings pushing the couple into highly comedic territory. The ensemble features Xiao Yang, Tan Zhuo, Qiao Shan, Chang Yuan, and Zhang Xiaowan.
Rounding out the top five, Dirty Monkeys Studio’s “Escape From the Outland” earned $1.7 million for a total of $2.7 million. The film, directed by Sheng Ao and starring Yang Xiao, Shi Qi and Simon Yam, follows a foreign correspondent, his wife, and an engineer who are abducted by an extremist group while on assignment overseas.
Overall, the Chinese box office grossed $48.6 million over the weekend. The year-to-date total for 2025 is $7.26 billion, 23.1% higher than the same point in 2024.
