Cinema revamps strategy to captivate Gen Z moviegoers

As China's box office and moviegoer numbers surpass those of previous years during this year's National Day Golden Week, cinemas are diversifying their strategies to attract more viewers, particularly the younger generation.

Wanda Film leveraged immersive gaming intellectual properties (IPs) to capture Gen Z audiences, driving diversified revenue streams and transforming theaters into dynamic cultural landmarks.

As one of China's largest movie theater operators, Wanda Film aggressively advanced its "Super Entertainment Verse" strategy. This involves transforming its nationwide cinema chain into multifaceted cultural consumption hubs, securing a new pillar of growth for the film industry. By moving beyond traditional box-office revenue, this strategy actively promotes cultural consumption and boosts industry confidence.

The latest manifestation of this strategy is a large-scale, immersive collaboration with the popular gaming IP "Love and Deepspace", launched during the National Day Golden Week—one of the year's most significant consumption periods.

"We are basing this activity deployment on the requirements of the 'Super Entertainment Verse' strategy and the industry challenge of how to attract and retain young people," said Li Jinlei, general manager of Mtime, who also oversees Wanda Film's IP co-branding initiatives.

The film industry as a whole, including Wanda Film, needs to address the crucial question of how to meet the needs of young consumers and provide them with richer entertainment experiences. This is particularly pressing as statistics indicate that the proportion of viewers under 25 years old plummeted from 39 percent in 2019 to 21 percent last year. The nationwide decline in cinema visits to just over 1 billion last year, down more than 40 percent from 2019, demands innovative adaptation.

To counter audience decline, Wanda Film leveraged its "filmmaker gene" to transform over 700 cinemas across 200 cities into immersive "film sets" for the "Love and Deepspace" collaboration. The core theme, "The Story of a Film's Birth", offers players an officially authorized "extra episode" of the game's narrative.

During the event, staff members play the role of the "film crew", addressing players as "Hunter Miss" throughout the experience. Li Jinlei noted that this immersive approach encourages co-creation between the IP owner, Wanda Film, and the audience. By offering a shared environment and allowing players to use their creativity and the on-site props, users produce unique content for social sharing, turning consumption into emotional expression and self-identification.

Li anticipates continued collaborations with more IP holders and brand partners to continuously expand the boundaries of cinema.