China gave a sign that more Hollywood movies will be essential as it looks to surpass the US as box-office champion

Warner Bros.

"Aquaman"

• China is approving an unexpected number of US movies this month to reach its box office goal of $8.7 billion by year's end, according to Bloomberg.
• China is expected to surpass the US as the world's box-office leader within the next five years, according to a report by Ampere Analysis.
• While China is relying on imported movies to reach its goal, Chinese audiences are essential for boosting blockbusters that disappoint in the US.

Hollywood is increasingly relying on the international box office, particularly in China, to boost blockbusters that don't perform as well in the United States. But China is also relying on Hollywood for its own box office this year.

According to Bloomberg, which cited anonymous sources, China's propaganda ministry has approved an unexpected number of US films to be screened in the country in December in order to reach its 2018 goal of $8.7 billion (60 billion yuan) in ticket sales by year's end. The movies include "The Grinch," "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," and "Searching."

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These last-minute additions would raise the number of imported movies to 41, more than its goal of 34, according to Bloomberg.

While US movies are essential to China's goal, the Chinese box office is still expected to surpass the US as the biggest in the world within the next five years, according to a recent report from Ampere Analysis.

According to the report, China has been building cinemas at an unprecedented growth rate of 35% every year since 2009. By 2023, Ampere predicted the Chinese box office will reach $12 billion. Allowing more US movies could contribute to that, especially as Hollywood relies more and more on international markets.

Ampere Analysis

READ MORE: 'Aquaman' is the biggest movie in the world, and it hasn't even debuted in the US yet

"Aquaman" debuted in China over the weekend, two weeks before its US release date. It was still the biggest movie in the world with $94 million.

Other movies this year to get a big boost from China are "Venom," which has grossed $270 million there, and "The Meg," which made $153 million. Movies starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, like "Rampage" and "Skyscraper," underwhelmed in the US, but became worldwide hits thanks to their appeal in China.