① The National Film Administration responded today to the USA's imposition of tariffs on China, stating that it will moderately reduce the number of American films imported. ② According to sources from cinema chains, there has not yet been any notification regarding the withdrawal of Hollywood films such as "Thunder Force" that are set to be released soon. ③ In the past three years, domestic films have dominated the annual box office.
On April 10, the National Film Administration responded to the USA's imposition of tariffs on China, stating that it will moderately reduce the number of American films imported. Sources from cinema chains revealed that there has been no notification regarding the withdrawal of Hollywood films such as "Thunder Force" that are about to be released. In the past three years, domestic films have continued to dominate the annual box office. As of the time of publication, the stock price of Warner Bros. Discovery, listed on Nasdaq, has plunged more than 11%.
According to the National Film Administration's official website, in response to a recent inquiry about whether the USA's tariffs on China would affect the import of American films, a spokesperson stated: The USA government's erroneous actions of imposing arbitrary tariffs on China will inevitably lower domestic audiences' favorability towards American films. We will adhere to market rules, respect audience choices, and moderately reduce the number of American films imported. China is the second-largest film market globally, and we will always uphold a high level of openness to the outside world, introducing more excellent films from countries around the world to meet market demand.
In recent years, the scale of the Chinese film market has continually expanded, with box office revenues firmly ranking second in the global film market. According to data from Maoyan Professional Edition, in 2024, North America ranked first globally with a box office of 8.625 billion USD, accounting for 30.89% of the global box office; while mainland China ranked second with a box office of 5.917 billion USD, making up 21.19% of the global box office. Other countries and regions have significantly lower box office levels compared to North America and mainland China.
Last year, imported films covered all release periods except the Spring Festival. For example, the American film "Aquaman 2: The Lost Kingdom" during the New Year's period, the Japanese animated film "What Kind of Life Do You Want to Live?" during the Qingming period, and the Japanese animated film "Spy x Family Code: White" during the May Day period all achieved good box office results.
However, Hollywood blockbusters that once created countless box office myths in the Chinese film market have received mediocre responses in recent years. Many viewers have stated, "Hollywood films are no longer interesting," believing their market appeal has declined. This year, the new Marvel film, "Captain America 4," has only been released in the domestic market for 57 days, with a total box office barely exceeding 100 million, and a Douban rating of 5.0, falling short of expectations in both box office and critical reception. In contrast, previous Marvel films, such as the "Avengers" series and the "Fast & Furious" series, were once very popular in the domestic market and were regarded as signature films of Hollywood.
The reporters from the Financial Associated Press noted that several Hollywood films are planned to enter the domestic market this year. These include "Fast & Furious 7," set to be re-released on April 11, along with the American films "Where the Heart Is" and "Agent Recon." The Marvel film "Thunder Force" is also set to be released in April. Sources from cinema chains revealed that there has been no notification regarding the withdrawal of these films.
Some film industry professionals have stated that as the origin of imported films diversifies and the range of genres expands, this trend of diversification has somewhat diverted audiences' attention from Hollywood films. Especially with the rise of domestic films, which have continuously improved in technology and storytelling, aligning with the aesthetic preferences of domestic audiences, the local advantages have clearly strengthened.
In the past three years, domestic films have dominated the annual box office. Data from the National Film Administration shows that China's 2024 box office revenue is 42.502 billion yuan, of which domestic films account for 33.439 billion yuan, making up 78.68%; the 2023 box office is 54.915 billion yuan, with domestic films generating 46.005 billion yuan, a share of 83.77%; and the 2022 box office is 30.067 billion yuan, with domestic films earning 25.511 billion yuan, a share of 84.85%.
At the same time, among the films with a box office exceeding 100 million yuan, domestic films not only occupy a majority but also have increased in number. In 2024, there are 79 films with a box office over 100 million yuan, of which 55 are domestic; in 2023, 73 films exceeded 100 million yuan, with 50 being domestic, and the top 10 box office rankings were all domestic films; in 2022, of the 7 films with a box office over 100 million yuan, 6 were domestic.
It is worth mentioning that this year, the domestic animated film "Ne Zha" not only gained popularity in China but also received recognition from many overseas audiences. Currently, the global box office (including presales and overseas) for this film has exceeded 15.6 billion yuan, ranking fifth in the global box office history.
