China’s 2026 Spring Festival box office, including presales, topped 2 billion yuan (about £232 million) by Feb 18th afternoon (Beijing Time), demonstrating robust holiday spending momentum.
China’s Spring Festival holiday period, which began on Feb 15th, is one of the most important periods in the world’s second-largest film market.
A diverse lineup
A diverse lineup of films has debuted during this year’s holiday movie season, including comedy, action, animation, and science fiction. The core of the 2026 Spring Festival lineup consists of six major titles, with two additional films joining later in the holiday period.
Director Zhang Yimou’s first venture into the national security genre, the film Scare Out, focuses on modern espionage in China, depicting an investigation into leaked secrets about a new fighter jet.
Joining Zhang’s thriller is the threequel Pegasus 3, the latest instalment in the massively popular racing series. The new chapter continues the story of Zhang Chi. The former champion driver faces a new reality with old team members departing and new technological challenges emerging.
Meanwhile, the wuxia (martial heroes) genre aims for a robust return with Blades of the Guardians. Directed by Yuen Woo-ping and featuring A-listers such as Wu Jing, Jet Li and Nicholas Tse, the film bills itself as “the last grand feast of martial arts.”
Blades of the Guardians follows a desert escort entrusted with transporting a mysterious person back to Chang’an, the capital city of the Sui Dynasty (581-618), encountering sieges along the way, while the fetters of fate are gradually uncovered.
Besides the above three films, families have multiple options: Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe, Boonie Bears: The Hidden Protector, and Per Aspera ad Astra. Each film seeks to secure niche audiences with distinct genres.
Strategic global releases
A defining feature of the 2026 season is the concerted push for synchronised global premieres, underscoring the growing outward focus of China’s film industry.
Two of the headline productions, Scare Out and Blades of the Guardians, have announced day-and-date releases across major international markets, including North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia.
Shi Wenxue, a veteran cultural critic based in Beijing, said that the ultimate test will be whether this diversified, globally-minded strategy can collectively sustain audience enthusiasm and deliver a successful season that highlights both the vitality of the domestic market and the expanding footprint of Chinese cinema abroad.
A year of film economy
On Feb 12th, the China Film Administration (CFA), together with other competent government bodies, launched the “2026 Film Economy Promotion Year” initiative, under which no less than 1.2 billion yuan of moviegoing subsidies will be distributed throughout the year.
This year, China will witness a further upgrade of the “cinema plus” scheme, which expands business formats and boosts consumption.
For example, in Hunan Province, moviegoers can enjoy special discounts at shopping centres with their movie ticket stubs, encouraging spending beyond the cinema experience.
According to a market manager of a shopping centre in Yiyang, Hunan Province, the shopping facility will distribute more than 5,000 gifts and will roll out a range of promotional campaigns, including gift-with-purchase offers, incentivising people to visit cinemas and the mall.
China’s Liaoning Province has launched a series of events titled “Explore Intangible Cultural Heritage Through Film” to merge cultural experiences with moviegoing, energising both markets.
By screening videos about intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in cinemas and partnering with ICH venues to offer ticket-stub-exclusive discounts, the initiative encourages people to visit cultural exhibitions and immerse themselves in the charm of traditional culture.
Written by Sha Liu, additional reporting by Xinhua, China Daily and Global Times.
If you liked this article, why not read: Golden Rooster Awards 2025: Young Talent and Diverse Films
