China's total box office revenue for 2026 had exceeded 23.1 billion yuan (about 3.41 billion U.S. dollars) as of Sunday night, with the summer season maintaining daily box office earnings of over 100 million yuan for 23 consecutive days, signaling a continued rise in market momentum.
According to box office tracker Dengta, summer box office revenue had exceeded 7.4 billion yuan (about 1.10 billion U.S. dollars) by Monday morning.
Domestic films have taken the lead this year, sweeping the top three spots on the annual chart and the top two places in the summer window.
Leading the summer season pack is The Eight Immortals, a comedy animation inspired by China's beloved folk legend and featuring Eastern aesthetics. Its producers have confirmed a global rollout starting August 13.
Close behind is the sports comedy Kung Fu Soccer. A spiritual successor to the 2001 classic Shaolin Soccer, the film presents a spirited blend of wild imagination and gritty competition of women's football.
The new releases have drawn huge numbers of students. In the coastal city of Rizhao in east China's Shandong province, one cinema kicked off a dedicated student screening session, attracting more than 200 youngsters into the hall.
"Now that I'm on break, I'm going to check out some movies I like and make my summer vacation more fulfilling," said student Gu Weizheng.
Catering to students and families during the summer vocation, theaters are also reshaping their schedules and services.
"We are adjusting lineups in real time so that films of all genres can meet demands. We are also extending prime-time showings and rolling out student discounts to lift occupancy, draw more families into the theater, and boost the summer box office," said cinema staff member Li Qiaoyang.
Beyond multiplexes, cities and towns across the country are running film tours and community screenings, bringing quality movies to neighborhoods and enriching everyday life throughout the summer.
China's summer film season booms, annual box office exceeds 23 bln yuan
