China's box office hits 24.5 billion yuan as summer movie season heats up

China's total box office revenue in 2026 has surpassed 24.5 billion yuan (about $3.4 billion), with more than 600 million moviegoers and over 92.6 million screenings recorded, according to data from a Chinese ticketing platform.

The summer movie season has generated more than 8.7 billion yuan (around $1.2 billion) in box office revenue in China, including pre-sales. Among summer releases, the comedy Kung Fu Soccer and the animated film All Wishes Come True have grossed 2.2 billion yuan and 1.4 billion yuan, respectively, ranking second and fourth on the 2026 annual box office chart.

All Wishes Come True, inspired by the traditional Chinese legend of the Eight Immortals, has also entered the top 10 highest-grossing animated films in Chinese box office history. The film will be released in multiple countries and regions worldwide from August 13, including Australia, New Zealand and countries in North America and Europe.

Among imported films, Spider-Man: Brand New Day currently ranks third in the summer box office. Chinese audiences contributed 210 million yuan (about $29.1 million) to the film's box office on its opening day.

The latest figures also show that China's average movie ticket price fell to 39.6 yuan ($5.49) in 2026, down 4.3 yuan year on year.

China launched a campaign this year to boost the cinema sector, with at least 1.2 billion yuan (around $166 million) in subsidies planned throughout the year to make moviegoing more affordable.

The summer season is traditionally a peak period for cinema attendance, and subsidized movie vouchers have helped bring audiences to underused daytime and less popular screening slots.