China Box Office: ‘Zootopia 2’ Leads Again as Market Cools Further Ahead of Lunar New Year

Disney’s “Zootopia 2” remained the top film in China for the Jan. 16–18 weekend, as the market continued to soften ahead of the Lunar New Year corridor.

The animated sequel added RMB36.2 million ($5.1 million), according to Artisan Gateway, pushing its cumulative gross to RMB4.37 billion ($615.2 million). While weekly takings dipped, the film continues to post the strongest holds in the market nearly eight weeks into release.

Maoyan Movie’s crime thriller “The Fire Raven” stayed in second place with $5 million, lifting its total to $51.3 million. Directed and written by Sam Quah, the film stars Peng Yuchang, Alan Aruna and Chang Ning and follows the reopening of a long-dormant murder case that exposes a wider network of corruption and revenge.

James Cameron’s “Avatar: Fire and Ash” ranked third, earning $4.3 million. The 20th Century Studios release has now grossed $153.4 million in China.

Debuting in fourth was Maoyan Movie’s “Take Off,” which opened with $2.8 million from its first weekend, starting its run with a $2.9 million cumulative. Directed by Song Peng Fei and based on Shuang Xuetao’s novella “The Aeronaut,” the drama stars Jiang Qiming and Li Xueqin and centers on a factory worker in Northeast China who becomes consumed by his dream of building a homemade flying machine.

Rounding out the top five was Huace Film & TV’s “Back to the Past,” which earned $2.2 million, pushing its total to $38 million. The feature film adaptation of Hong Kong broadcaster TVB’s 2001 historical sci-fi series “A Step Into the Past” is produced by Louis Koo‘s One Cool Film Production, with Koo serving as producer. The project reunites the principal cast from the original television series 24 years after it first aired. Koo stars alongside Raymond Lam, Jessica Hsuan, Sonija Kwok, Joyce Tang and Michelle Saram, all reprising their original roles. New cast members include Bai Baihe, Michael Miu and Louis Cheung. The film marks the final screen appearance of the late Dick Liu Kai-chi.

The weekend’s combined box office reached $24.4 million, while China’s 2026 year-to-date gross stands at $201.8 million, tracking 0.1% ahead of the same period last year.