A poster of the film Mumu

 
China's upcoming three-day Qingming Festival holidays (Friday to Sunday) are expected to boost the domestic box office, with 14 films slated to debut and pre-sales exceeding 40 million yuan ($5.5 million) as of Wednesday afternoon, according to ticketing platform Beacon.

The diverse holiday lineup reflects the industry's push to revitalize mid-sized theatrical windows through genre diversity and audience-targeted storytelling, Zhang Peng, a film researcher and associate professor at Nanjing Normal University, told the Global Times.

Topping the most-anticipated list on Chinese ticketing platform Maoyan are two domestic productions that spotlight marginalized voices.

We Girls, starring Zhao Liying as a mother risking everything to fund a life-changing cochlear implant for her daughter, has topped anticipation charts. 

Directed by Chinese veteran filmmaker Feng Xiaogang, the drama follows Zhao's character as she bonds with fellow female inmates to combat societal stigma. 

Meanwhile, Mumu featured pop icon-turned-actor Zhang Yixing as a deaf father ensnared in a criminal scheme while fighting for his daughter's future. 

The film's authenticity is bolstered by its groundbreaking cast of nearly 30 hearing-impaired actors, offering a rare lens into the challenges faced by China's deaf community.

Slated for release on April 3, the film marks Zhang's first dramatic lead role after his acclaimed turn in No More Bets (2023).  

"Both films tap into China's growing appetite for grounded narratives. If these films can sustain positive word-of-mouth, they might exceed box office expectations," data analyst Lai Li, told the Global Times.  

Veteran actors Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Duan Yihong headline Fox Hunt, China's first major crime thriller focused on tracking fugitives abroad.
Based on real events, the film tracks a Shanghai detective (Duan Yihong) racing against time to apprehend a financial fraudster (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) in Paris. 

Analysts expect the film's mix of gritty action and patriotic themes to resonate with older audiences.

On the imported front, the US-produced film A Minecraft Movie and Japanese animated film Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX: Beginning aim to lure younger crowds. 

A Minecraft Movie, adapted from the beloved sandbox game, could tap into a loyal fanbase as the game boasts 400 million Chinese users, Zhang said. 

However, Zhang cautioned that success will depend on aligning the film's quality with audience expectations.

Despite the wave of new releases, holdovers like Ne Zha 2 might continue to claim 5 percent of screenings, buoyed by enduring fan loyalty, some film insiders predicted.
"Ne Zha 2 has injected fresh momentum into Chinese film creation and the market," Fu Ruoqing, chairman of the China Film Group Corporation, told the Global Times. 

He added that the Chinese film market needs not only phenomenon-level blockbuster films like Ne Zha 2, but also a steady stream of quality films to satisfy growing audience demand.
Still, analysts caution that challenges remain.

Zhang warned that overemphasis on social issues might trigger "audience fatigue," while the dominance of reality-driven films could overshadow other genres.

The Qingming Festival window - traditionally a mid-tier earning period - is increasingly seen as a testing ground for nuanced storytelling. 

"The market is shifting toward a 'small holiday, big vitality' model," Zhang remarked, pointing to the complementary roles of socially driven dramas and IP adaptations.  

With more films choosing smaller holidays or weekends to avoid market saturation, industry figures like Fu emphasize the need for a balanced ecosystem. 

"A healthy market thrives on diversity - not just in genres, but in release strategies," he said.