China becomes global box office champion so far in 2026 - Xinhua - China's Official Newspaper

[Feroze]

China becomes global box office champion so far in 2026​

BEIJING, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- China has overtaken North America as the world's top-grossing film market for the time being, with its 2026 box office revenue (including pre-sales) surpassing 7 billion yuan (about 970 million U.S. dollars) as of Saturday, slightly higher than North America's 938 million U.S. dollars, according to online ticketing platforms.

The country's strong box office performance has largely been driven by its ongoing Spring Festival holiday, which began on Feb. 15. So far, China's holiday ticketing revenue has exceeded 4.4 billion yuan, contributing over half of its total earnings this year.

During the nine-day holiday, a wide range of blockbuster films across different genres and themes premiered in theaters all over China, providing the perfect backdrop for family reunions and festive fun.

Topping the Spring Festival sales chart was "Pegasus 3," the third installment in director Han Han's racing-comedy franchise starring Shen Teng, one of China's most bankable comedic actors. The film has amassed more than two billion yuan since its debut.

The first two films in the series were released during the 2019 and 2024 Spring Festival seasons, grossing a combined 5 billion yuan.

Spy thriller "Scare Out," directed by Zhang Yimou, secured the second spot on the chart, with a box office revenue of 701 million yuan. It was immediately followed by "Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert," an action film featuring Chinese martial arts, with 577 million yuan.

China becomes global box office champion so far in 2026

China becomes global box office champion so far in 2026-

english.news.cn

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

China box office plunges 40.6% in 2026 first half despite strong performers

Top titles included 'Pegasus 3', 'Dear You' and 'Blades Of The Guardians'.

www.screendaily.com

China box office plunges 40.6% in 2026 first half despite strong performers​

China’s box office suffered a steep contraction in the first half of 2026 as takings fell to $2.56bn (RMB17.35bn), down by 40.6% year-on-year.

Some 421 million cinema admissions were recorded in the first six months from 73.29 million screenings nationwide. The average ticket price was $6 (RMB41.1).

Box office takings were marginally higher than the $2.53bn (RMB17.18bn) taken in the first half of 2022, at a time when cinemas were not always fully operational due to fresh waves of the Covid virus.

Excluding pandemic years, the figures are the lowest since 2014’s $2bn (RMB13.59bn), according to data released by ticketing platform Maoyan.

The top earners were Chinese New Year hit Pegasus 3 (the country’s 10th biggest film of all time), which took $650m (RMB4.42bn), and sleeper hit Dear You ($285m/RMB1.93bn). They were followed by Chinese New Year blockbusters Blades Of The Guardians: Wind Rises In The Desert ($212.9m/RMB1.44bn), Scare Out ($200.7m/RMB1.36bn) and animation Boonie Bears: The Hidden Protector ($157.8m/RMB1.07bn).

These were the only five films that surpassed the RMB1bn ($150m) mark.

A trio of Chinese-language crime thrillers were also in the top 10, including Taiwanese director Cheng Wei-hao’s Vanishing Point, Hong Kong director Longman Leung’s Cold War 1994 (both released during the Labour Day holiday, grossing $84m/RMB568m and $44m/RMB296m respectively), and Malaysian director Sam Quah’s The Fire Raven, which opened on December 31 and took $64m (RMB436m) in the first six months.

International features that were well received by Chinese audiences include Disney animation Zootopia 2, which earned $84.5m (RMB573m), and James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire And Ash, which took $62.9m (RMB427m). Compiling their earnings since opening in the last quarter of 2025, the final gross for Zootopia 2 was $677.5m (RMB4.59bn), making it the biggest box office hit since Ne Zha 2 and the seventh biggest film of all time, while Avatar: Fire And Ash earned a cume of $177.2m (RMB1.2bn).

While the Lunar New Year box office slid 39.5% year-on-year, the summer season, which started from June 1, has yet to deliver a smash hit that can reverse the flagging box office.

Dear You, which opened on April 30, continued to top the daily box office for 12 days last month. New releases that led the chart included Disney animation Toy Story 5, Kenji Tanigaki’s action feature The Furious, and historical war film Crossing, but each of their cumulative earnings as of June 30 was only around $29.5m (RMB200m) and below.

 

[ChineseTiger1986]

China box office plunges 40.6% in 2026 first half despite strong performers

Top titles included 'Pegasus 3', 'Dear You' and 'Blades Of The Guardians'.

www.screendaily.com

China box office plunges 40.6% in 2026 first half despite strong performers​

China’s box office suffered a steep contraction in the first half of 2026 as takings fell to $2.56bn (RMB17.35bn), down by 40.6% year-on-year.

Some 421 million cinema admissions were recorded in the first six months from 73.29 million screenings nationwide. The average ticket price was $6 (RMB41.1).

Box office takings were marginally higher than the $2.53bn (RMB17.18bn) taken in the first half of 2022, at a time when cinemas were not always fully operational due to fresh waves of the Covid virus.

Excluding pandemic years, the figures are the lowest since 2014’s $2bn (RMB13.59bn), according to data released by ticketing platform Maoyan.

The top earners were Chinese New Year hit Pegasus 3 (the country’s 10th biggest film of all time), which took $650m (RMB4.42bn), and sleeper hit Dear You ($285m/RMB1.93bn). They were followed by Chinese New Year blockbusters Blades Of The Guardians: Wind Rises In The Desert ($212.9m/RMB1.44bn), Scare Out ($200.7m/RMB1.36bn) and animation Boonie Bears: The Hidden Protector ($157.8m/RMB1.07bn).

These were the only five films that surpassed the RMB1bn ($150m) mark.

A trio of Chinese-language crime thrillers were also in the top 10, including Taiwanese director Cheng Wei-hao’s Vanishing Point, Hong Kong director Longman Leung’s Cold War 1994 (both released during the Labour Day holiday, grossing $84m/RMB568m and $44m/RMB296m respectively), and Malaysian director Sam Quah’s The Fire Raven, which opened on December 31 and took $64m (RMB436m) in the first six months.

International features that were well received by Chinese audiences include Disney animation Zootopia 2, which earned $84.5m (RMB573m), and James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire And Ash, which took $62.9m (RMB427m). Compiling their earnings since opening in the last quarter of 2025, the final gross for Zootopia 2 was $677.5m (RMB4.59bn), making it the biggest box office hit since Ne Zha 2 and the seventh biggest film of all time, while Avatar: Fire And Ash earned a cume of $177.2m (RMB1.2bn).

While the Lunar New Year box office slid 39.5% year-on-year, the summer season, which started from June 1, has yet to deliver a smash hit that can reverse the flagging box office.

Dear You, which opened on April 30, continued to top the daily box office for 12 days last month. New releases that led the chart included Disney animation Toy Story 5, Kenji Tanigaki’s action feature The Furious, and historical war film Crossing, but each of their cumulative earnings as of June 30 was only around $29.5m (RMB200m) and below.

View attachment 208405

2026 drops compared to 2025 because of Ne Zha 2.

That movie did gross domestically more than twice compared to the highest domestic US movie.

But China will have future movies to outdo Ne Zha 2.

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

2026 drops compared to 2025 because of Ne Zha 2.

That movie did gross domestically more than twice compared to the highest domestic US movie.

But China will have future movies to outdo Ne Zha 2.

China still came in second to the US at the Box Office for the entire 2025 year even with the success of Ne Zha 2.

 

[Beijingwalker]

China box office plunges 40.6% in 2026 first half despite strong performers

Top titles included 'Pegasus 3', 'Dear You' and 'Blades Of The Guardians'.

www.screendaily.com

China box office plunges 40.6% in 2026 first half despite strong performers​

China’s box office suffered a steep contraction in the first half of 2026 as takings fell to $2.56bn (RMB17.35bn), down by 40.6% year-on-year.

Some 421 million cinema admissions were recorded in the first six months from 73.29 million screenings nationwide. The average ticket price was $6 (RMB41.1).

Box office takings were marginally higher than the $2.53bn (RMB17.18bn) taken in the first half of 2022, at a time when cinemas were not always fully operational due to fresh waves of the Covid virus.

Excluding pandemic years, the figures are the lowest since 2014’s $2bn (RMB13.59bn), according to data released by ticketing platform Maoyan.

The top earners were Chinese New Year hit Pegasus 3 (the country’s 10th biggest film of all time), which took $650m (RMB4.42bn), and sleeper hit Dear You ($285m/RMB1.93bn). They were followed by Chinese New Year blockbusters Blades Of The Guardians: Wind Rises In The Desert ($212.9m/RMB1.44bn), Scare Out ($200.7m/RMB1.36bn) and animation Boonie Bears: The Hidden Protector ($157.8m/RMB1.07bn).

These were the only five films that surpassed the RMB1bn ($150m) mark.

A trio of Chinese-language crime thrillers were also in the top 10, including Taiwanese director Cheng Wei-hao’s Vanishing Point, Hong Kong director Longman Leung’s Cold War 1994 (both released during the Labour Day holiday, grossing $84m/RMB568m and $44m/RMB296m respectively), and Malaysian director Sam Quah’s The Fire Raven, which opened on December 31 and took $64m (RMB436m) in the first six months.

International features that were well received by Chinese audiences include Disney animation Zootopia 2, which earned $84.5m (RMB573m), and James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire And Ash, which took $62.9m (RMB427m). Compiling their earnings since opening in the last quarter of 2025, the final gross for Zootopia 2 was $677.5m (RMB4.59bn), making it the biggest box office hit since Ne Zha 2 and the seventh biggest film of all time, while Avatar: Fire And Ash earned a cume of $177.2m (RMB1.2bn).

While the Lunar New Year box office slid 39.5% year-on-year, the summer season, which started from June 1, has yet to deliver a smash hit that can reverse the flagging box office.

Dear You, which opened on April 30, continued to top the daily box office for 12 days last month. New releases that led the chart included Disney animation Toy Story 5, Kenji Tanigaki’s action feature The Furious, and historical war film Crossing, but each of their cumulative earnings as of June 30 was only around $29.5m (RMB200m) and below.

View attachment 208405

North America plunged more?

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

North America plunged more?

No, the US is not declining like China is.

 

[030292]

Hollywood ruined itself by opting to go extreme far left that even people on left side of the political spectrum got tired of them shoving down bullshit the viewers throats.

 

[wangdefa]

Cinema? I haven't been to a cinema for years since smart TVs started offering movie channels. Isn't it more fun to lie on the couch and watch?
Since the advent of smart TVs, cinema ticket prices have continued to decline. This industry is not necessarily being defeated by competitors within the same sector, but rather by cross-industry rivals.
Monthly subscription package for 30 yuan offers better value for money.