China Focus: Art-house, anime, Hollywood -- can they ignite China's November box office?

by Xinhua writer Zhang Yunlong

BEIJING, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- Sandwiched between the October National Day holiday and the year-end moviegoing rush, November has traditionally been a quiet month for China's box office.

However, this November's slate looks rather lively so far. From festival-lauded art films to a global anime sensation and heavyweight Hollywood sequels, the month offers a rich lineup and perhaps, a shot at reviving audience enthusiasm after a subdued October.

Following a lackluster National Day holiday, when movie ticket sales declined for a second consecutive year, the industry is seeking renewed momentum. Boosted by the record-breaking success of "Ne Zha 2," China's 2025 box office had already surpassed last year's full-year total of 42.5 billion yuan (about 6 billion U.S. dollars) by early October. As of Thursday, its cumulative gross stood above 44.7 billion yuan, and analysts see November and December as crucial months for pushing the total closer to the symbolic 50-billion-yuan mark.

"The November lineup is exciting, featuring a group of award-winning Chinese art-house films and Hollywood franchise titles that will appeal to different audiences," said Lai Li, an analyst with ticketing platform Maoyan.

ART-HOUSE PRESTIGE

The month opened on a distinctly artistic note with "Girl," the directorial debut of Taiwan actress Shu Qi, who also wrote the screenplay. Loosely based on her personal experiences, the film offers a female-centered meditation on growth and self-discovery. After competing at both the Venice and Busan film festivals, it won Shu Qi the Best Director award in Busan.

Arriving on Nov. 7 will be "The Sun Rises on Us All," directed by Cai Shangjun and starring Xin Zhilei. The Venice-winning drama centers on guilt and redemption in the aftermath of a hit-and-run incident. Xin's performance earned her the Best Actress award in Venice -- making her only the third Chinese actress to win this honor after Gong Li and Deanie Ip.

Another anticipated title is "Resurrection" (Nov. 22), from auteur Bi Gan and starring Jackson Yee and Shu Qi. The Cannes competition entry and winner of the Special Award blends fantasy and time travel in Bi's signature poetic style. While Bi's elliptical storytelling does have a reputation for testing audiences' patience, the combination of art-house prestige and Yee's box-office draw could make it one of the month's most talked-about Chinese releases.

Other notable domestic titles include Hu Ge's crime drama "A Touch of Warm" (Nov. 15), the Shanghai-set family story "Shanghai Wonton" and "Skin" (Nov. 28), a horror feature starring Hong Kong actress Athena Chu.

HOLLYWOOD SEQUELS, JAPANESE ANIME

Hollywood and Japanese offerings are also expected to bring fresh energy to the Chinese market this month. On Nov. 7, "Predator: Badlands" will open day-and-date with North America, followed by "Now You See Me: Now You Don't" on Nov. 14, which is the third installment of the magician-heist franchise, of which the first two editions grossed 142 million yuan and 637 million yuan, respectively, in China.

But the most intense buzz so far surrounds the Japanese anime juggernaut "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle," also debuting Nov. 14. Adapted from the global smash manga, the film has shattered records abroad -- becoming the highest-grossing foreign-language release in North America ever, according to Maoyan. It also ranks as Japan's top-grossing film of 2025 and among the world's five biggest earners so far this year.

Disney's "Zootopia 2" will premiere in China on Nov. 26, the same day as its North American release. The original 2016 film earned 1.53 billion yuan in China, still the all-time record for an imported animated feature. Whether its sequel can replicate that success remains to be seen -- but its late-month release is likely to lift overall November-December box office momentum.

Historically, November has produced surprise hits, such as "A Cool Fish" (2018) and "Be Somebody" (2021), both mid-budget crime comedies that thrived on strong word-of-mouth publicity. This year's schedule, though short on local mega-blockbusters, may still deliver unexpected successes.

"In a month lacking super blockbusters, cinemas may rely on diverse genres and strong word-of-mouth titles to unlock market potential," noted industry blog "Ying Shi Feng Xiang Biao." ■