Photo: VCG

China's total box-office revenue for 2026 has surpassed 14 billion yuan ($2.06 billion), according to data released by ticketing platform Maoyan. 

Leading the May Day holiday box office was the suspense drama Vanishing Point, which had earned over 368 million yuan as of Wednesday and is projected to reach over 500 million yuan in total domestic earnings. The film gained momentum after opening modestly, benefiting from strong audience reviews and sustained daily gains throughout the holidays.

Close behind was the historical-action sequel Cold War 1994 and Dear You, which had grossed over 256 million yuan and 195 million yuan, respectively, as of Wednesday. 

The number comes as momentum from the May Day holidays period extends into mid-May, driven by a diverse slate of domestic and international films and strong-quality content, Sun Jiashan, a research fellow at The Academy of Chinese Culture, told the Global Times.

This year's May Day holidays film lineup was diverse in genre and broad in scope, spanning revolutionary history, contemporary drama, suspense crime, action crime, police thrillers and family-friendly animation, "catering to audiences of different ages and viewing preferences," said Sun.

According to a new survey released by the China Film Archive, the 2026 May Day holidays film satisfaction score reached 83.8 points, the highest level recorded for the period since the survey was launched. 

The Teochew-dialect drama Dear You emerged as the standout performer in audience reception, scoring 85.6 points to lead the holiday lineup. The film, which was released without major stars or large-scale marketing campaigns, has since become one of the season's biggest surprises. The film has generated 195 million yuan in box-office revenue to date, with projections suggesting it could exceed 729 million yuan. 

The film's success has drawn attention to the growing influence of regional-language storytelling in China's mainstream market, noted Sun, adding that audience preferences are becoming increasingly segmented, with viewers showing stronger interest in stories that reflect lived experience and local cultural contexts. 

"The dialect itself functions as an efficient narrative tool," Sun said. "It carries the texture of everyday life and encodes distinct regional cultural identity."

According to Lai Li, a market analyst at Maoyan, despite relatively muted pre-sale performance and moderate anticipation ahead of the holidays, overall results exceeded expectations, driven in part by strong word-of-mouth for breakout titles such as Vanishing Point and Dear You. 

Lower average ticket prices also coincided with a rebound in both admissions and total box-office revenue compared with the same period in 2025, underscoring the resilience of China's film market and helping to bolster industry confidence, said Lai. The trend also suggests that "audience demand remains strong, particularly for well-received films, even as consumers become more selective in their viewing choices."

At the same time, the breakout success of films like Dear You highlights "the growing importance of segmentation and differentiation in the market," according to Lai.

Several new films are set to hit Chinese theaters in mid-to-late May, spanning the drama, romance, and suspense genres, as the post-holiday box-office momentum continues.

On Saturday, A Man and a Woman will be released nationwide. Starring Huang Bo and Ni Ni, the film follows two strangers who become stranded in the same hotel after a flight delay. Separated by a single wall, they spend 21 days at the hotel, gradually witnessing each other's vulnerabilities and emotional exhaustion under life pressures.

Several romance titles are also scheduled for release on May 20, aligning with the symbolic date often associated with love in China, including Love Battle and Be Yourself.