This article only represents the author's own views.
The past year has been anything but glamourous for China’s film industry, which is reflected throughout the latest annual earnings announcement from Imax China Holding Inc. (1970.HK), a provider of large screen-technology to Chinese cinemas. But a devil child named Ne Zha, the star of animated blockbuster “Ne Zha 2,” has brought a glimmer of hope to both the industry and Imax China, getting the company off to a roaring start in 2025.
Whether the strong start will continue for the rest of the year remains an open question, especially since “Ne Zha” is responsible for more than half of the China box office’s record start to 2025. Once that film peters out, it’s quite likely the box office will return to its anemic performance that saw ticket sales tumble 23% last year to 42.5 billion yuan ($3.37 billion) as increasingly cautious consumers reined in their spending on non-essentials.