Online film fans take the helm

So, with women holding more sway at the box office, it will be interesting to see if a move toward more female-friendly films is about to take place in the world's second-largest movie market, which drew 1.72 billion admissions last year.

The report also found that North America and China, which grossed $11 billion and $9 billion last year, maintained their momentum as the top two global movie markets. With an average annual compound growth rate of 22 percent over the past eight years, Chinese cinemas are continuing to make a sustained contribution to the global movie industry, says Liu.

"In 2018, China imported 118 foreign films, showing that our market is becoming more open and diverse," she says.