BUSINESS

Film Withdrawals Stunt China's Labor Day Box Office

Published: May. 6, 2026 5:42 p.m. GMT+8

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Moviegoers walk past posters at a cinema in Renhuai, Guizhou province, on May 5. Photo: VCG

China’s box office revenue edged up just 1.4% year-on-year to 758 million yuan ($111 million) during the Labor Day holiday, according to official data, as some sudden film withdrawals exacerbated an already subdued market.

The flat performance underscores the continued sluggishness of the Chinese cinema sector, offering little sign of recovery after steep box office revenue declines during the Spring Festival and Tomb-Sweeping Day holidays earlier this year.

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Explore the story in 30 seconds

China's Labor Day box office rose 1.4% YoY to 758M yuan ($111M), with 20.9M visits (+10%), avg ticket 36.3 yuan.
Only 12 of 18 planned films released; "If I Were You" and "All the Good Eyes" withdrawn, trending on Weibo.
Crime thrillers led: "Vanishing Point" (260M yuan), "Cold War 1994" (200M yuan).

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Maoyan: Maoyan, a ticketing platform, reported 20.9 million theater visits during China's Labor Day holiday (May 1-5), up 10% year-on-year, driven by average ticket prices dropping from 39.5 yuan to 36.3 yuan.