Chinese entertainment conglomerate Maoyan Entertainment will launch more than 30 film projects, a new animation label and an IP derivatives business, announcing the expansion at a press conference during the 2025 China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival in Xiamen, Fujian province, on Nov. 14.

The cast and crew of "The Fire Raven" appear on stage to promote the film at Maoyan's press conference in Xiamen, Fujian province, Nov. 14, 2025. [Photo/China.org.cn]

The film slate covers genres including comedy, crime, animation, drama, horror and documentary, with highlights like Bi Gan's "Resurrection," Sam Quah's "The Fire Raven," Peng Fei's "Take Off" and Xu Huijing's "Unstoppable."

High-profile sequels to domestic blockbusters such as "Pegasus 3," "Panda Plan 2," "Johnny Keep Walking! 2" and "Honey Money Phony 2" were also revealed.

The company's animated film lineup spans Chinese traditional art, fantasy, adventure and game adaptations. Standouts include "Demon Agent," from "Legend of Deification" director Cheng Teng, which centers on Tang dynasty detective Di Renjie in what the company says is China's first comedic detective animated film.

Maoyan also announced a game-to-film adaptation of Tencent Holdings' "Honor of Kings" in collaboration with Mahua Fun Age, and "Benbo," which continues the story of minor demons from "Journey to the West" following the success of this year's blockbuster "Nobody."

The company also launched a new animation label, Menggu Culture, to manage its animated film pipeline from investment and development through production, marketing, distribution and IP commercialization.

Maoyan said its animation unit has participated in 15 domestic and international animated films over the past two years, generating more than 3.3 billion yuan at the box office. Summer releases "Nobody" and "The Legend of Hei 2" performed strongly, while the latest "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle" set a presale record for imported animated films with opening-day earnings exceeding 136 million yuan on Friday.

Menggu Culture aims to reduce the industry's reliance on box-office revenue through its "content plus derivatives plus smart production" model. The company said this involves cultivating IP and core fan engagement before expanding to broader audiences through co-creation. At the same time, AI-assisted production boosts efficiency, while IP commercialization creates an ecosystem of online content and offline experiences such as special screenings and merchandise, it said.

Citing a 2025 study by Licensing International, Maoyan said the global IP industry reached $369.6 billion in 2024, while China's market totaled $14.4 billion. Globally, the IP industry is 13.22 times larger than box-office revenue, compared with 2.42 times in China, the study showed.

Against this backdrop, Maoyan also launched an IP derivatives business, focusing on licensing collaboration, incubation, channel expansion and branding. This will enhance Maoyan's established "super IP launch system" and create an "online-to-offline one-stop super IP cluster," according to the company.

Maoyan said it has built user databases, IP libraries and project incubation pools using years of data. This allows it to assess IP value across multiple dimensions, supported by user tracking, marketing analytics and sales diagnostics.

Zhang Bo, senior vice president of Maoyan Entertainment, speaks at Maoyan's press conference in Xiamen, Fujian province, Nov. 14, 2025. [Photo/China.org.cn]

Zhang Bo, senior vice president of Maoyan Entertainment, said at the event, "These figures collectively point toward a future full of potential: expanding the IP market, reducing reliance on box-office revenue, and building a more diverse and stable industrial income structure."

Zhang said Maoyan is building diversified user channels, with online resources including social e-commerce reaching 120 million followers and seven ticketing portals. It has partnered with over 3,000 theaters for IP-themed sales, will launch a new retail space at Beijing's Chaoyang Joy City before next Spring Festival, and has unveiled the offline IP brand MmmGoods.

Maoyan said it will deepen cooperation with Chaoyang's cultural tourism sector to explore integrated entertainment, retail and tourism formats at Chaowai UIC (Urban Innovation Center). Zhang said their efforts are expected to create a complete consumer journey from cinema viewing to offline immersive experiences like theme parks and pop-up events, and then to online purchases.

The approach seeks to transform passive viewers into active IP participants who build deeper emotional connections through merchandise and interactive activities, she said.