When the box office books for 2025 close in markets around the world, many a country will feature Hollywood hits at the top or among the top performers of the year. After all, the likes of A Minecraft Movie, Lilo & Stitch, Wicked: For Good, Superman, Jurassic World: Rebirth and Zootopia 2 made a mark around the globe.
But there were also local breakout hits igniting the box office in key markets and driving audiences to the cinema. Some of these titles are household names in their respective countries, but may not ring a bell for folks elsewhere.
Anyone up for a German slapstick comedy Western parody blockbuster? Or how about a historical action epic from India soaring at the multiplex? If not, there is also an Argentinian satire anthology and more.
So, sit back, get comfortable and check out select local box office hits of 2025.
Chhaava, India
Director Laxman Utekar’s Chhaava quickly became one of India’s biggest blockbusters of 2025, the top Hindi movie of the year and the biggest hit for star Vicky Kaushal.
The Hindi-language historical action epic, also starring Akshaye Khanna and Rashmika Mandanna, is based on the life of Sambhaji, the second ruler of the Maratha Empire.
The plot is twisty, but the story starts off with a messenger informing Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb of the death of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, leading him to announce a celebration amid confidence that the Maratha Confederacy, so far led by the deceased, will soon collapse. However, Shivaji’s son and successor, Sambhaji, quickly takes charge and continues his resistance fight.
The critical reception fpr Chhaava was mixed. Kaushal earned positive commentary, but The Hollywood Reporter India‘s review called the film itself “a roaring tribute to bad filmmaking.”
Nonetheless, Indian audiences devoured the epic adventure, as Chhaava flexed its box office muscle, which helped drive India’s theatrical revenue for the first half of 2025 a whopping 14 percent higher. It had grossed around $85 million as of mid-December in its home country, plus around $11 million in international markets.
Das Kanu des Manitu, Germany
How do you say “cult classic” in German? Richtig: “Kultklassiker.” And that is exactly what mini-major Constantin Film Der Schuh des Manitu (Manitou’s Shoe) is. The 2001 release became one of the most successful German movies of all time.
Directed by and starring Michael “Bully” Herbig, the film was an adaptation of the Winnetou sketches from his TV comedy show Bullyparade. But who is Winnetou, you ask? Well, he is a fictional Native American hero in the bestselling novels from German writer Karl May (1842-1912) that are set on the American frontier, which the author never visited. The books were made into 1960s Europe-shot movies that were hugely successful and remain staples of German TV, even though they have been criticized as examples of cultural appropriation.
In the first Manitou film, Herbig played Abahachi, chief of the Apache, who is inseparable from his blood brother Ranger (Christian Tramitz) since the latter saved Abahachi from a speeding train at an unguarded railroad crossing.
In 2025, the slapstick heroes returned in Das Kanu des Manitu (Manitou’s Canoe). The original’s core characters, also including Dimitri (Rick Kavanian), for another adventure. Instead of a magic shoe, this time the laughs and the action revolve around a mythical canoe.
The film stormed the German box office upon its August release, laughing all the way to the bank to gross more than $57 million as of mid-December to rank in the top spot, ahead of A Minecraft Movie ($39 million) and Lilo & Stitch ($36 million). Manitou’s Gold, anyone?!
Kokuho, Japan
Let’s get more serious and turn to Japan, where white — namely the iconic stark white base makeup of kabuki actors — proved to be the new black in 2025, thanks to an adaptation of a novel by Shuichi Yoshida taking audiences inside the world of the traditional art form that dates back to the 17th century.
The result: Lee Sang-il’s surprise hit Kokuho, Japan’s top live-action film of 2025 and of all time. The nearly three-hour period drama also became Japan’s submission for the best international feature film race at the 2026 Oscars.
The movie explores a mainstay of traditional Japanese culture, the cloistered world of kabuki theater. The Hollywood Reporter‘s review called it “transporting” and “a stunning tale of art, ambition and bloodlines.” Sōya Kurokawa and Ryo Yoshizawa play the fictional protagonist Kikuo at various ages. Kikuo is taken under the wing of a kabuki icon Hanai, played by Ken Watanabe, after the death of his father and emerges as a superstar in the art form.
The Sony-backed movie, produced by Aniplex in association with Myriagon Studio and distributed by Toho, was released in June and ended up taking center stage, surpassing the 17.35 billion yen live-action record held for 22 years by the 2003 crime-comedy Bayside Shakedown 2.
Animated hit Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle ruled the Japanese box office in 2025, grossing more than $245 million as of mid-December, but Kokuho‘s $114 million-plus put a spotlight on it in the second spot for the year.
Homo Argentum, Argentina
A satirical anthology film became the highest-grossing Argentinian film of 2025 and the country’s top homegrown movie since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Co-written and directed by Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn, the film consists of 16 stories, starring local star Guillermo Francella. They all explore contemporary society in Argentina along with its various issues, dilemmas and contradictions. The cast also features the likes of Eva De Dominici (The Cleaning Lady), Clara Kovacic, Miguel Granados, Gastón Soffritti, Dalma Maradona, Milo J, Vanesa González, Juan Luppi and Guillermo Arengo.
The fact that the movie was praised by Argentina’s right-wing populist President Javier Milei contributed to a debate about whether Homo Argentum was “anti-woke,” but that didn’t seem to affect its commercial success.
[SPOILER WARNING: This paragraph contains spoilers for one of the 16 stories.] The short stories cover various ground. One of them sees Argentina’s public TV channels interrupted by the National Network for the first address by the newly elected president, who ends up panicking. Another of the stories featured in the anthology sees a billionaire taking an elevator to a dinner meeting when a young woman threatens to falsely accuse him of rape if he doesn’t transfer $50,000 to her before he reaches the 54th floor. In the end, it turns out this was only a figment of the man’s imagination, and he ends up taking the stairs instead.
The filmmakers have shared that they wrote 40 stories and picked 16. Given the success of the movie, they even joked about the possibility of making two sequels with the remaining 24 stories. But what is that old saying? Never say never!
Madly, Italy
Last but not least, here is a healthy portion of love. After all, a homegrown romantic comedy film was box office gold in Italy in 2025.
Paolo Genovese’s Madly stars Edoardo Leo as Piero, 50, and Pilar Fogliati as Lara, 35. After meeting in a bar, the two set their first date at her place, as both are ready to get back into the dating scene. She just ended a relationship with a married man and often falls for dead-end romances. He is recently divorced and has joint custody of his young daughter.
What could possibly go wrong? Well, a lot, of course. It’s not so much rival suitors or so. Instead, there is an Inside Out vibe to Madly as the movie gives voice to the characters’ conflicting inner emotions that may or may not get in the way of the heart.
Italian audiences went wild for the flick from Lotus Production and RAI Cinema, in collaboration with Disney+ and in association with Vice Pictures. That allowed the movie to celebrate the biggest box office debut for any Italian film since the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is also on track to wrap 2025 as the year’s No. 2 theatrical release in the country with around $21 million, behind only Lilo & Stitch ($23 million-plus). Given the universal experience it brings to the screen, don’t be surprised if this local hit also ends up getting interest from people considering the production of Madly remakes elsewhere in the world. So, the question for 2026 may well be: will love conquer the world?
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