James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash” remained the dominant force at the China box office over the Dec. 26–28 frame, adding RMB166.4 million ($23.4 million) to lift its local cumulative total to RMB700 million ($98.6 million), according to Artisan Gateway.
Disney’s “Zootopia 2” held steady in second place, grossing $15.2 million in its fifth weekend. The animated sequel has now amassed $558.3 million in China, cementing its position as one of the market’s highest-grossing releases of the year.
Maoyan Movie’s new release “The Fire Raven” opened in third place with $2.8 million. Directed and written by Sam Quah, the crime thriller centers on a cold case involving the murder of a student in Duma City, with a witness and a police officer drawn into a wider web of corruption and retribution. The film stars Peng Yuchang, Alan Aruna and Chang Ning.
Romantic drama “Love Is Hard,” from NCM Television, was at No. 4 with $2.1 million, taking its cume to $4 million. Co-written and directed by Dong Xu, the third entry in the “Qing Sheng” series centres on a marriage strained by a crisis of trust, with elaborate schemes and misunderstandings pushing a couple into wildly 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, bringing its total to $2.7 million. Directed by Shen Ao, the film follows a foreign correspondent, his wife and an engineer who are abducted by an extremist group while on assignment abroad, starring Yang Xiao, Xi Qi and Simon Yam.
Overall, the China box office generated $48.6 million for the weekend. The 2025 year-to-date total now stands at $7.26 billion, running 23.1% ahead of the same point in 2024.