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| 2026 Chinese New Year Box Office Ranking Pegasus 3 Dominates Opening Day. (Photo: Weibo) |
The 2026 Chinese New Year box office has exploded out of the gate, with Pegasus 3 (飞驰人生3) storming to the top on opening day and setting an aggressive pace for the entire Spring Festival run. As of 9:30pm on 17 February 2026, the holiday market has already shown serious momentum, with packed cinemas and record-breaking screening numbers confirming that this year’s festive film battle is anything but quiet.
According to industry data, the total 2026 Spring Festival box office has surpassed 1.5 billion RMB, including presales, within the first stretch of the holiday frame (15–23 February).
On Lunar New Year’s Day alone, the single-day national box office hit 1.231 billion RMB, drawing more than 24.62 million cinema-goers. Even more striking, the country logged 570,000 screenings in one day, setting a brand-new historical record for New Year’s Day showtimes.
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Guangdong ranked second nationwide for single-day earnings, just behind Jiangsu, pulling in over 115 million RMB with more than 62,000 screenings and 2.45 million admissions.
This year’s holiday frame runs for nine days, officially making it the longest Spring Festival box office period in history.
Pegasus 3 Leads With 612 Million RMB
Front and centre is Pegasus 3, directed once again by Han Han and bringing back familiar faces Shen Teng, Yin Zheng and Johnny Huang.
Despite mixed critical reactions, the third entry in the racing-comedy franchise delivered a massive 612 million RMB opening day, contributing nearly half of the total market share on day one.
The franchise formula remains intact: high-energy motorsport competition, underdog spirit, fast-paced humour and that crowd-pleasing family vibe. Its accessible tone and established fanbase gave it a clear presale advantage, and cinemas were clearly betting big on it from the start.
What to expect from this genre?
A mix of adrenaline-fuelled racing sequences, exaggerated comedy beats, emotional redemption arcs and a festive-friendly atmosphere designed for group viewing.
Zhang Yimou’s Scare Out Opens Strong in Second
Landing in second place is Scare Out (惊蛰无声) with 230 million RMB on opening day. Directed by Zhang Yimou, the film explores a contemporary national security storyline and stars Best Actor winners Jackson Yee and Zhu Yilong alongside a heavyweight ensemble cast.
The film marks Zhang Yimou’s first attempt at this modern suspense-driven subject. Tense confrontations, chase sequences, covert operations and layered psychological conflict drive the narrative. Viewers can expect high production values, sharp visual composition and tightly structured suspense.
Current cumulative box office has already exceeded 230 million RMB, securing it a solid second-place position heading deeper into the holiday.
Boonie Bears Continues Its Holiday Tradition
The evergreen animated entry Boonie Bears: The Hidden Protector (熊出没·年年有熊) secured third place with 167 million RMB on opening day and has already crossed 193 million RMB cumulatively.
As the first instalment in the franchise to embrace a “Chinese fantasy” world-building upgrade, this film expands its universe with richer visuals and more ambitious storytelling. Remarkably, the Boonie Bears series has now held a Spring Festival slot for 12 consecutive years, becoming the first domestic animated IP to accompany audiences across a full zodiac cycle.
From this genre, expect: colourful fantasy landscapes, humour tailored for children and adults, emotional lessons and strong family-friendly appeal.
Blades of the Guardians Underperforms Expectations
Directed by Yuen Woo-ping, Blades of the Guardians (镖人：风起大漠) opened with 126 million RMB, which industry watchers consider lower than projected given its star-studded action lineup.
The film assembles Wu Jing, Jet Li, Nicholas Tse and Yu Shi, representing four generations of martial arts cinema energy. Adapted from a popular Chinese animated property, it’s the only traditional wuxia release in this year’s line-up.
Expect grounded, hard-hitting action choreography, desert-set battles, swordplay, and a strong sense of classic martial arts honour. While early box office numbers are solid, fans expected a more explosive debut given the cast combination.
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The Rest of the Pack
Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe (熊猫计划之部落奇遇记) starring Jackie Chan and Ma Li earned 59.6 million RMB on opening day, leaning into adventure-comedy territory.
Meanwhile, sci-fi title Per Aspera Ad Astra (星河入梦), featuring Dylan Wang and Victoria Song, brought in 34.3 million RMB, targeting younger viewers with futuristic visuals and dreamlike storytelling.
From sci-fi, audiences can expect ambitious visual effects, emotional human-versus-destiny themes and imaginative world-building, although competition this year is fierce.
Average Ticket Prices Drop, Audience Numbers Rise
Interestingly, the average ticket price this year is 49.8 RMB, noticeably lower than last year’s 51.3 RMB. The price adjustment appears to have stimulated stronger attendance, helping fuel the massive opening-day numbers.
In addition, authorities launched the “2026 Film Economy Promotion Year”, pledging no less than 1.2 billion RMB in viewing subsidies throughout the year and expanding “Film+” cross-industry promotions.
Across multiple provinces, cinemas are collaborating with tourism, dining and retail sectors to enhance the overall holiday entertainment experience.
Guangdong in particular rolled out eight themed “Film+” benefits, combining ticket discounts with lifestyle perks, pushing the so-called “ticket stub economy” into broader consumption trends. As expected, online reactions are already varied.
For Pegasus 3, loyal fans are praising the familiar chemistry and festive fun factor, calling it “the safest family choice” of the season. Others argue the story feels predictable, though they admit it delivers exactly what holiday audiences want.
Scare Out is generating stronger critical discussion. Many viewers appreciate its tension and cinematic craft, describing it as “serious but gripping”. However, some casual moviegoers feel the tone is heavier compared to traditional New Year comedies.
Boonie Bears continues to receive warm responses from parents, with many praising its upgraded visuals and cultural fantasy elements.
Blades of the Guardians has sparked debate among martial arts fans. Hardcore action enthusiasts applaud the choreography, while some younger viewers say the pacing feels old-school compared to modern blockbusters.
With Pegasus 3 commanding nearly 50 percent of opening-day revenue, the competitive dynamic is already forming. However, word of mouth during the nine-day window will ultimately decide the final ranking. Suspense thrillers often grow steadily, family animation tends to hold strong mid-week, and action epics can rebound if audience buzz builds.
The 2026 Chinese New Year box office is shaping up to be one of the most dynamic in recent memory: longer schedule, lower ticket prices, genre diversity and record screening numbers all working together.
Which film are you planning to watch this Spring Festival? Are you backing Pegasus 3’s racing momentum, leaning towards Zhang Yimou’s tense thriller, or sticking with classic family animation?