00:00Will Zhang is an international cinema expert.
00:052025 has been an exciting and transformative year for global box office market, you know.
00:11And what I think, what I took away from this year is a year not just about one or two blockbusters.
00:19It's more about like a structural change, you know, from the industry perspective.
00:24You take a look at the data of the global box office.
00:27We notice that, you know, the majority of global box office growth actually comes from overseas, outside the U.S., and especially in Asia.
00:36And definitely China plays a very important role in contributing the numbers to the global box office.
00:42And the other thing, you know, we notice is also, you know, the animation, you know, plays very well in this year.
00:48You know, literally the top three movies of the year are all animation.
00:51So it proves that, you know, the animation is still one of the most reliable genres and can cross borders and doing well in different regions.
01:01As we know that China has been the second largest theatrical market for more than a decade now.
01:07You know, many, so for many film releases, China can lift it from just doing well, maybe making them to become a truly worldwide phenomenon.
01:16It's interesting because thinking about films like Nergia 2 and China, there seems to be a bigger strategy here, turning these movies into kind of multifaceted entertainment experiences.
01:29Yeah, indeed, you know, we took Nergia 2 as an example, you know, it's not just one single animation anymore.
01:38We saw when Nergia 2 was releasing China, you know, we also see some, like, merchandising opportunities they did.
01:46We also see a lot of, like, online fan engagement.
01:49You know, I feel like the Chinese filmmakers and the industries is realizing that they need to develop this whole ecosystem of IP development.
01:58So those contents can go beyond the film itself and reach to the more audiences and more people in other fields and industries.
02:08You know what? There were plenty of big hits in 2025, but there were also some movie duds as well.
02:15How do you think that customer or cinema goers' tastes are changing?
02:22Well, you know, I think that's a very interesting question.
02:24Because of the social media, those online viewing platforms, it makes the audience have more opportunity.
02:32We literally just consume the contents every day and every moment.
02:36We got a chance to watch different kind of things.
02:39You know, for example, like we, Chinese audience, we grew up with watching many Hollywood blockbusters.
02:44But also because of the rise of the Chinese film industry in recent years, we also got a chance to watch a lot of, like, great Chinese films.
02:52So I think our taste, our audience taste becoming more selective and more mature and global.
02:58You know, we choose a film to watch mainly based on the content, the quality or the emotional connection.
03:05So with quality in mind, what's on your watch list for 2026?
03:09Wow, that's a really hard question.
03:13You know, I feel there are too many films I'm really looking forward to next year.
03:17But some films that come to my mind, you know, definitely for China side, you know, I'm looking forward to, you know, some films made by some legendary filmmakers.
03:27It is, like, the new films from Zhang Yimou and Feng Xiaogang are expected to release in 2026.
03:34And in Hollywood, you know, definitely, like, Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, Steven Spielberg's Disclosure Day.
03:41You know, these films are probably will refresh our cinematic experience again in the theaters.
03:47And also some, we are also expected to see some returning sequels for some, like, legendary series, like Devil Wears Prada 2, Toy Story 5, and also some other films based on gaming IPs, such as, like, Return to Silent Hill, the Super Mario Galaxy movie, Street Fighter, and the new Resident Evil movie.
04:08You know, it's 2026, it's an exciting year to expect.
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