Chinamay be considering a ban onHollywoodmovie releases. The second-most populous country in the world,China is a massive overseas market for the United States' film industry. At the same time, the country’s government also censors a lot of non-Chinese films. Historically, this has sometimes caused major Hollywood studios like Disney to cater their content for the Chinese market, neglecting to include themes and characters that may be considered socially taboo. Some American films have been able to make significant parts of their profit in China.
First reported byBloomberg, with additional details available viaThe Hollywood Reporter, China may be placing a ban on Hollywood movie releases. According to the report,this would be a retaliatory response to the increased tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.Said measures would put 54% tariffs on all Chinese goods, which could increase to as much as 104%. In response, China’s plans may involve “reducing or banning the import of U.S. films” as a countermeasure. These moves were initially announced by Chinese bloggers Liu Hong and Ren Yi.
What This Means For China &The Global Box Office
This Comes After China’s Ne Zha 2 Broke Records
While the United States' massive tariffs seem to be the primary impetus for China’s proposed ban,it comes at a flourishing time in China’s own film industry.They had a homegrown hit this year with theanimated sequelNe Zha 2, which made over $2 billion worldwide. This exorbitant total positions the movie as the no. 1 highest-grossing movie of 2025 so far and the highest-grossing animated film of all time, among other records. This was an unprecedented success for China, but it may encourage the country to invest in their own films.
Imported films are qualified as a service, rather than a good, so Chinese movies would not be directly affected by the tariffs.
That said, losing the China market could still be catastrophic for Hollywood studios. Thevideo game adaptation filmThe Minecraft Movie, for example, beatNe Zha 2to become the no. 1 highest-grossing movie in China last weekend. And whileNe Zha 2is almost certainly slated to be the highest-grossing movie in China for this year, the previous three years saw Hollywood films rise to the top of the pack (Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,Fast X, andJurassic World: Dominion). So, this move could help China’s own films, butit comes at a detriment to Hollywood movies.
Our Take On China’s Proposed Hollywood Ban
If China’s ban on Hollywood releases goes through, it is unclear how long it will last. If the ban lasts for the duration of this year, however, it could be particularly trying news for thehighly anticipatedAvatar: Fire and Ash. Slated for August 20, 2025, theAvatarthreequel will have the opportunity to beat outNe Zha 2to become the highest-grossing movie of 2025, as did its two predecessors in their release years.
China banning Hollywood films poses a significant threat to the James Cameron film, complicating its chances at making major records. Given how muchHollywoodrelies on theChinesemarket as a whole, having that revenue disappear would be detrimental to the industry as a whole.
