China’s New Year film season sparkles with fresh releases
Print Edition
CHINA’S box office revenue for 2025 has exceeded 46 billion yuan (US$6.48 billion), even before the new releases for the New Year film season.
This month, more than 50 films are scheduled to grace the big screen. Many of them, having garnered acclaim at major international film festivals, are generating buzz even before their release and bringing fresh creativity and distinctive perspectives to Chinese cinema.
The biopic film “Hidden Landscapes,” about Chen Qigang, a renowned Chinese composer and “master of orchestration” (according to The Telegraph), has garnered praise from local moviegoers.
The film especially resonates with the students of local universities and allows the audience to see not a maestro, but an ordinary person navigating the uncertainties of life.
Director Guo Xufeng explores the musician’s seven-year solo artistic journey. He does not attribute Chen’s success to his achievements, such as music direction for the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony or winning prestigious French awards. Instead, the film focuses on Chen’s music and daily life.
Guo viewed this filming journey as a pilgrimage. “Looking back on these seven years, I realize that while documenting an artist’s retreat from the world, I also unexpectedly found the direction of my own heart,” he said.
Meanwhile, “Zootopia 2: Rise of the Non-Mammalians” has injected new vitality into the film market following its release simultaneously in North America on November 26.
The film has racked up an estimated US$556 million in global ticket sales over the US Thanksgiving weekend last week.
It has also become the 41st film in China’s cinematic history to cross the 2 billion yuan mark and ranks third among the highest-grossing animated films in China’s film history.
Don’t miss the upcoming domestic and international hits to celebrate the New Year.
‘The Running Man’
Release date: December 5
Directed by Edgar Wright, the action thriller follows a man who enters a deadly game show where contestants are allowed to flee anywhere in the world while being hunted by hired killers.
The contestants, also known as Runners, must survive for 30 days while being hunted by professional assassins, with their every move broadcast live to a bloodthirsty audience. The protagonist’s rebellion, survival instinct, and unyielding determination unexpectedly turn him into a national idol — and also, a dangerous threat to the entire system. The film also has an IMAX version.
‘Witness for the Prosecution’
Release date: December 5
Based on Agatha Christie’s short story of the same name, the film centers on a man accused of killing a rich old woman. After a series of examinations and debates, the case concludes with a twist that is both surprising and entirely fitting.
The final 10 minutes of the film unveil a shocking revelation. Hidden within the puzzling case is a web of interconnected and untold secrets.
‘Under Current’
Release date: December 6
Directed and written by Alan Mak, the film is inspired by a real-life charitable crime case, exposing how corrupt charities misuse donations to launder money, smuggle drugs and collude with foreign forces.
Starring Aaron Kwok and Simon Yam, the narrative of the movie follows the investigation through the combined perspectives of a lawyer and the police.
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’
Release date: December 19
James Cameron’s latest installment of the “Avatar” franchise will premiere on the Chinese mainland on December 19, simultaneously with its North American release. The film is also presented in an IMAX 3D version.
Jake and Neytiri’s family struggles with grief following Neteyam’s death, and they also face a new, hostile Na’vi tribe — the Ash People — led by the fierce Varang, as tensions on Pandora escalate and the story explores a new moral dimension.
‘Wicked: For Good’
Release date: December 24
Helmed by Jon M. Chu, the fantasy musical film is the second of a two-part feature film adaptation of a Broadway musical.
It tells the story of Elphaba as she fully embraces her magical powers and becomes an enemy of the state after being declared as such by the Wizard and Madame Morrible. The film boasts lavish costumes and sets, complemented by heartfelt songs.
‘Made in Yiwu 2’
Release date: December 31
The comedy crime film by Rao Xiaozhi masterfully weaves together absurd comedy and tender realism, highlighting the struggles and stories of ordinary individuals.
A young entrepreneur in Yiwu faces the closure of his business over a non-payment issue. A severed finger draws the attention of local police to a gang.
A failed debt collection attempt, ending in a suicidal act, plunges a creditor into a meticulously planned kidnapping. These stories are elaborately connected.
‘Variant’
Release date: December 31
The sci-fi thriller by Li Qilin tells the story of a man, born on a spaceship, whose accidental release of an alien creature leads to the deaths of his parents and crew. Twenty years later, as mutated monsters attack Earth, the man embarks on a path of redemption.
Shot over six months, the production brought together a team from more than 50 countries to create over a thousand visual effects shots. Actors also personally performed dangerous stunts, including high-speed truck chases and jumps from ten meters high.
‘Escape from the Outland’
Release date: December 31
Director Shen Ao perseveres in his focus on true events. The film is based on the real-life self-rescue experience of hostages abroad. A foreign correspondent and a volunteer doctor couple accompany an engineer to a suburban site to repair a communications tower when the local situation suddenly erupts into chaos.
The three must evade indiscriminate attacks by a terrorist organization but are eventually captured and held hostage, where they meet an overseas Chinese businessman.
Faced with unprecedented massacres and ransom demands, they endure 105 harrowing days and embark on a thrilling struggle to escape and save themselves.
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