According to data from Lighthouse Pro, as of 6:30 PM Beijing time on May 1st, the box office revenue for the first day of the 2026 May Day holiday in China reached 131 million yuan (RMB). "Cold War 1994," "The Vanished," and "The Devil Wears Prada 2" ranked first to third, respectively.
It is reported that as of 7:07 PM Beijing time on May 1st, the total box office revenue for new films released during the 2026 May Day holiday (including previews and pre-sales) has exceeded 200 million yuan. The total box office revenue for Chinese films in 2026 (including pre-sales) has exceeded 13 billion yuan.
The films released during this year's May Day holiday cover a variety of genres, including revolutionary history, comedy, action, suspense, and animation, providing audiences with a rich and diverse selection. Among them, the film "Cold War 1994" tells the story of a police superintendent from the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB) in Hong Kong in 1994 who risks his life to investigate a high-profile kidnapping case, determined to uncover the truth. "The Vanished Man" centers on the disappearance of Yang Yuan's son in a stairwell on the morning of the winter solstice. Parallel to this are two other cases: gambler Yuan Wu hiding his father's body and the unsolved assault of Lin Chuping, a woman living alone. These three seemingly unrelated threads eventually intertwine.
Compared to previous years, ticket prices for new films released during this year's May Day holiday have collectively decreased. As of May 1, 2026, the average ticket price is 37.1 yuan, a significant drop from the average price of 39.6 yuan on May 1 last year. Furthermore, first-tier cities performed exceptionally well on the first day of the May Day holiday, contributing 21.43% of the national box office. This was mainly due to the high proportion of first-tier city sales for key films such as "Cold War 1994," "The Devil Wears Prada 2," and "Letters to Grandma," reaching 28.1%, 30.9%, and 37.8% respectively. Meanwhile, the suspense thriller "The Vanished Man" performed well in lower-tier cities, contributing 46.9% of the box office, demonstrating a significant competitive advantage through its differentiated positioning. In addition, the Chaoshan-themed film "Love Letters to Grandma" continues to garner positive word-of-mouth, with an average attendance of over 20 people per screening today, significantly outperforming other films released during the May Day holiday. Furthermore, a large proportion of the film involved groups of friends or family watching together. It is understood that the film will be released nationwide on May 3rd and is considered a potential dark horse at the box office during this year's May Day holiday. (End)
