In 2020, China eclipsed the United States as the world's largest movie market, owing mostly to domestic productions that helped the country quickly recover from months of pandemic-related lockdowns.
The Chinese government hopes to maintain its box-office dominance in the coming years.
According to Variety, the China Film Administration recently unveiled its five-year plan, which aims to transform China into a "strong cultural force" by adhering to the Party's leadership over film initiatives.
The initiative was highlighted during China's Communist Party's plenary session last week, Deadline reported.
The China Film Administration stated in its 14th "5-Year Plan" that for the growth of Chinese films it wants to raise the number of cinema theaters in the country to 100,000 by 2025.
China surpassed North America as the world's largest box office market last year. This was primarily due to the reopening of cinemas and the screening of local films during a previous pandemic.
China's box office has surpassed RMB43 billion ($6.7 billion) in the last week, with propaganda film "The Battle at Lake Changjin," which earned RMB 5.65 billion ($884 million) leading the way.
Variety said the strategy calls for releasing 50 films a year with a minimum gross of $15.7 million, as well as at least 10 films a year that are "critically acclaimed and popular," with local films accounting for more than half of total box office.
The plan also calls for the creation of a "national high-tech film research center" and the promotion of overall improvements in cinema special effects via the promotion of sci-fi films.
The plan stated that Chinese works should portray a "trustworthy, likable, and respectable picture of China."
The strategy follows the Chinese government's previous efforts to regulate the film industry.
China aspires to be "a strong cinematic power" by 2035, local media disclosed. The country is already a significant market for Hollywood and has been in the recent past.
However, in recent months, the country has shied away from prospective Hollywood blockbusters, particularly Marvel films, which have typically been a hit with local moviegoers.
Aynne Kokas, a media studies professor at the University of Virginia and author of "Hollywood Made in China," saw a "widespread tightening" of Chinese media and the movie industry in a recent interview with Business Insider.
The Chinese market is "shifting away from Hollywood," Chris Fenton, a film producer and author of the book "Feeding the Dragon," said.
