The total pre-sale box office for new films scheduled for the 2026 Spring Festival period has exceeded 300 million yuan (around 43.42 million U.S. dollars), as of 12:21 on Sunday, according to Lighthouse Professional Edition, a box office tracker owned by Alibaba.
The Spring Festival holiday, running for nine days from Feb. 15 this year, is one of the key movie seasons in the world's second-largest film market.
The movie lineup combines familiar franchises, a high-stakes spy thriller, and family-friendly fare, reflecting an industry leaning on proven intellectual property while cautiously testing new thematic territory amid competition from streaming platforms, short-form video and AI-driven entertainment.
Leading the early buzz ahead of its Spring Festival opening is "Pegasus 3," the third installment in director Han Han's racing-comedy franchise starring Shen Teng, one of China's most bankable comedic actors. On the Maoyan online ticketing platform, "Pegasus 3" currently ranks first in "want-to-see" interest selections by Spring Festival moviegoers this year.
"Scare Out," a contemporary espionage thriller directed by Zhang Yimou, has also drawn strong early attention. Developed with guidance from the Ministry of State Security, it centers on a leak of classified military aviation data and follows a counterintelligence team as it navigates shifting loyalty and hidden betrayals.
Another high-profile entry, "Blades of the Guardians," adapted from a cult-favorite comic, is directed by legendary action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping and features a multigenerational lineup of martial arts stars. It is a rare, large-scale "wuxia" (martial chivalry) production at a time when the genre, which features legends of ancient Chinese warriors, has become less common in Chinese cinema.
On the animation front, "Boonie Bears: The Hidden Protector", the 12th entry in the franchise, is the sole animated feature being released this season. With cumulative box-office earnings exceeding 8 billion yuan (1.13 billion U.S. dollars), the series has become a family-friendly holiday staple.
The holiday slate has also been joined by "Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe," a sequel starring Jackie Chan, and "Per Aspera Ad Astra," a fantasy adventure aimed at younger viewers.
China's pre-sale box office top 300 mln yuan for Spring Festival period
