China Film Administration previews National Day holiday movies

The China Film Administration held a press event on Monday in Beijing, gathering filmmakers to promote the films set to be released during the upcoming National Day holiday.

Filmmakers and actors of films to be released during the National Day holiday appear on stage at a press event in Beijing, Sept. 22, 2025. [Photo courtesy of China Movie Channel]

The National Day film lineup offers a diverse range of genres — including historical, fantasy, comedic and animated films — promising audiences a rich and varied cinematic experience. Filmmakers, actors and representatives of these films took to the stage at the event to introduce and promote their respective works.

"The Volunteers: Peace at Last" is one of the most-anticipated war epics and the final installment in Chen Kaige's trilogy. The film focuses on the Chinese People's Volunteer Army's dual-track strategy of "fighting while negotiating" from the aftermath of the Fifth Campaign in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea up to the signing of the armistice agreement. It depicts how the soldiers, through their bloody struggles, ultimately forced the enemy to the negotiating table.

"The Volunteers: To the War," the first installment of the trilogy, earned 868 million yuan at the Chinese box office in 2023, while its sequel "The Volunteers: The Battle of Life and Death" grossed 1.2 billion yuan in 2024. Nearly 400,000 users have bookmarked the upcoming finale in their watchlists on Maoyan and Taopiaopiao, two of China's leading ticketing platforms.

"The Writer's Odyssey 2," directed by Lu Yang, is the sequel to the 2021 fantasy blockbuster which earned over 1 billion yuan at the box office. The new film once again intertwines the real world with the fantastical universe of a novel, following a writer in the midst of a personal crisis who must join forces with the characters he created to save both worlds from destruction. The sequel also features notable new cast members, including renowned actor Deng Chao, and Xin Zhilei, who recently won the best actress award at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival.

"Sons of the Neon Night," directed by Juno Mak, stands as another highlight of the season. The film boasts a star-studded cast including Takeshi Kaneshiro, Sean Lau, Tony Leung, Louis Koo and Gao Yuanyuan, in what is billed to be a breathtaking crime epic.

Other films set to be released include the comedy "Row to Win," directed by Ma Lin and starring Huang Bo and Fan Chengcheng, crime drama "The Return of The Lame Hero" directed by Tong Zhijian and starring Wang Anyu and Zhang Tian'ai, and comedy drama "Nobody" directed by Li Wei and starring Qiao Shan. 

High-profile animated features include "Three Kingdoms: Starlit Heroes" by Yu Meng and Yuan Yuan, with renowned Chinese historian, author, scholar and TV personality Yi Zhongtian serving as scriptwriter for the first time. Also featured is "I'm Bond, GG Bond," a new installment in the "GG Bond" franchise aimed at younger audiences, centered on the popular little pig hero.

While most films will open on either Sept. 30 or Oct. 1, "Sound of Silence" is scheduled to debut on Oct. 4 part way through the holiday period. Directed by Wan Li and starring popular actor Tan Jianci, the film follows Li Qi, a lawyer from a deaf family, as he takes on an anti-fraud case involving the deaf community. The story is partially based on the real-life experiences of Zhang Qi, a lawyer who is the child of deaf parents.

The China Film Administration announced that pre-sales for all holiday films will begin on Sept. 23.

With this year's Mid-Autumn Festival falling on Oct. 6, the typical seven-day National Day holiday has been turned into an eight-day extended break. The lengthened period is viewed as a potentially lucrative opportunity for the film industry.

In addition, at the press event held at the China National Film Museum, it was announced that the China Movie Data Gala and Awards Ceremony of China Movie Channel M-Chart will be held in Yichang, Hubei province, from Oct. 28-30. A movie-themed cultural tourism campaign for university campuses was also announced to celebrate the 120th anniversary of Chinese cinema, enrich university life and facilitate academic exchanges.

In other film-related news for the holiday, 20th Century Studios and Disney announced on Monday that China will join the global re-release of "Avatar: The Way of Water" with a limited theatrical run from Oct. 3-12. The screenings will feature special preview footage from "Avatar: Fire and Ash" — scheduled for release in December — after the end credits, further intensifying competition during the National Day holiday period.