BUSINESS

Hollywood Sci-Fi Hit ‘Project Hail Mary’ Lifts China’s Box Office

Published: Mar. 30, 2026 6:06 p.m. GMT+8

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“Project Hail Mary,” starring Ryan Gosling, topped the Chinese mainland box office for the week ending Sunday. Photo: Alibaba’s ticketing platform Tao Piao Piao

China’s box office in March has surpassed the total for the same month last year, lifted by imported films like the Hollywood sci-fi epic “Project Hail Mary,” which ended the five-week reign of domestic Spring Festival blockbuster “Pegasus 3.”

As of Monday noon, March’s ticket sales exceeded 2 billion yuan ($289 million), exceeding the 1.9 billion yuan recorded for the entirety of March 2025, official data showed. The number of moviegoers also increased by nearly 4.3 million compared with the previous year.

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China's March box office surpassed 2 billion yuan ($289 million), exceeding March 2025’s 1.9 billion yuan and with 4.3 million more admissions.
Imported films like “Project Hail Mary” boosted sales after the Spring Festival, with the film leading the weekly chart and grossing $300 million globally.
Upcoming Qingming Festival presales for 10 new films reached 26.2 million yuan as of Monday.

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Who’s Who

Box Office Mojo: Box Office Mojo is a reliable source for global film revenue data. It's cited in the article for reporting that "Project Hail Mary" has grossed $300 million worldwide, making it the second-highest-grossing film globally this year.

Maoyan: Maoyan is a ticketing platform. The article mentions that according to Maoyan, presales and preview screenings for 10 new films scheduled for the upcoming Qingming Festival holiday reached 26.2 million yuan.

AI generated, for reference only