CBN丨Domestic films lead China’s 2025 summer box office

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China's summer box office revenue has surpassed CNY10 billion as of Monday, with homegrown titles dominating the season's top earners.

According to ticketing platforms Maoyan and Beacon, domestic films currently occupy four of the top five slots.

Leading the charge is "Dead To Rights," a film about the Nanjing Massacre during World War II, which has grossed CNY2.6 billion since its July 25 release. It is the only summer release to top the 2-billion-yuan threshold so far, and now ranks as the year's third-highest earner overall in China.

The film has received a rating of 8.7 out of 10 on review platform Douban and won widespread critical acclaim. Director Feng Xiaoning has hailed it as "a new high point for Chinese cinema," while audiences have described screenings as harrowing yet profoundly moving.

This year's summer slate has been shaped by the 80th anniversary of victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Alongside "Dead To Rights," themed releases include historical drama "Dongji Rescue" and documentary "Mountains and Rivers Bearing Witness."

Animation has also been a breakout category. "Nobody," a spinoff from the acclaimed "Yao-Chinese Folktales" animation series, ranks second on the summer chart, raking in more than CNY1 billion since its Aug. 2 release. It has become the highest-grossing two-dimensional animated film ever released in China.

Other strong performers include "The Lychee Road," a bittersweet drama set during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) which has grossed more than CNY670 million, and "The Legend of Hei 2," the sequel to a 2019 animated hit and now at nearly CNY450 million. Universal's "Jurassic World Rebirth" is the highest-ranking imported film, currently in fourth place with more than CNY560 million earned to date.

China's summer moviegoing season runs from June 1 through Aug. 31 and is traditionally one of the country's most lucrative film periods. Analysts note that local hits have revitalized what began as a sluggish season.

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