Moviegoers walk past film posters at a cinema in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, August 17, 2025. Photo by Su Yang/Xinhua News Agency

An art-house-savvy and blockbuster-rich November has arrived in the Chinese film market, bringing more than 30 new titles to movie theaters across the country, including several internationally acclaimed works and major Hollywood imports.

New releases, including award-winning Chinese dramas Girl, The Sun Rises on Us All, and Resurrection, join a wave of imports such as Predator: Badlands, Now You See Me: Now You Don't, and Zootopia 2, promising one of the most wide-ranging box-office months of 2025.

Among the domestic titles opening this month are three high-profile films already honored on the global festival circuit. First up on Saturday is Girl, written and directed by actress Shu Qi. The drama, set in 1988 at Keelung Harbor, follows Lin Xiaoli, a teenager yearning to escape her industrial hometown until she meets the free-spirited Li Lili. Their bond opens Xiaoli's world but awakens long-buried trauma in her mother. 

Drawing from Shu Qi's own experiences, the film was shortlisted for the main competition section at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival and earned Shu the Best Director award at the 30th Busan International Film Festival.

On November 7, director Cai Shangjun's The Sun Rises on Us All will arrive in theaters. The film, known in Chinese as Ri Gua Zhong Tian, stars Xin Zhilei and Zhang Songwen, depicts a tragic romance of former lovers entangled by fate and unable to find redemption. Xin plays the leading female role. 

The production, shot across several cities in South China's Guangdong Province, showcases the region's rich Lingnan (south of the Nanling Mountains) culture. Xin's performance helped her win the Best Actress award at the 82nd Venice Film Festival in Venice in September.

The Sun Rises on Us All is expected to draw audiences and could emerge as one of the year 2025's standout cinematic events, Zhang Peng, a cultural researcher and associate professor at Nanjing Normal University, told the Global Times on Monday.

Resurrection, directed by Bi Gan, is set to hit theaters on November 22. Bi won the Special Award at the 78th Cannes Film Festival with his epic feature film Resurrection, known in Chinese as Kuang Ye Shi Dai.  

"Successes at international film festivals have been pouring in, which, to some extent, signify that Chinese cinema has entered a new phase in which artistic individuality, cultural confidence, and industrial maturity converge," Shi Wenxue, a veteran film critic, told the Global Times.

"Despite differing in themes and genres, these films share common traits: distinct auteur styles, exploration of universal emotions, and strong cultural roots with local expression. This progress stems from growing cultural confidence and is supported by the expanding Chinese film market and technological advancements," noted Shi.

Complementing these art-house standouts, a lineup of Hollywood blockbusters is set to energize the market. Among the most anticipated are Predator: Badlands, Now You See Me: Now You Don't, and Zootopia 2. Their arrival is expected to provide the commercial momentum for an already competitive release schedule.

Overall, while the number of films currently scheduled for release in November is not particularly large, the lineup remains highly anticipated, Lai Li, an analyst with ticketing platform Maoyan, told the Global Times.

From acclaimed art-house works to major international imports, moviegoers will find no shortage of variety. Among them, Zootopia 2, which returns the franchise to Chinese theaters after a nine-year hiatus, stands out as a major release and is widely expected to boost box-office momentum in late November, setting the stage for the upcoming holiday season, she added.

Zhang is also looking forward to Zootopia 2 with great anticipation. The Zootopia IP features a highly engaging "animal utopia" world, with strong audience loyalty and considerable public recognition and anticipation, according to him.