🍿 Local Drama Maintains Lead at Chinese Box Office
The low-budget family drama Dear You, produced by Jinant Film & TV, continues its triumphant run in Chinese theaters. According to consulting firm Artisan Gateway, the film comfortably topped the national box office over the past weekend, grossing $17 million.
Cumulative earnings for this cultural phenomenon have already reached $238.5 million. Directed by Lan Hongchun, the film tells the story of Ye Shuzhou, a grandmother from the Chaoshan region whose peaceful retirement is upended when her debt-ridden grandson travels to Thailand to track down his missing billionaire grandfather. The search uncovers a half-century-old love mystery, revealing that the man to whom the grandmother had been sending traditional “Qiaopi” letters for years was actually a complete stranger.
Holding onto the number-two spot was the crime thriller Vanishing Point, which pulled in $2,5 million over the weekend, bringing its total gross to $75.6 million. Adapted from Bei Baokang’s novel The Sea Anemone, the film delves into the dark secrets of an old apartment building’s residents, which come to light following the mysterious disappearance of a young boy on the winter solstice.
Hollywood releases lagged significantly behind the market leaders. Disney’s sci-fi spin-off The Mandalorian & Grogu claimed third place with $1.4 million (bringing its total to $12.1 million), while Amazon MGM’s fantasy-action feature Masters of the Universe debuted in a disappointing fourth place, taking in just $1.2 million. Rounding out the top five was the World War II historical drama Pressure, which opened with $1.1 million.
Overall, the total Chinese box office gross for the weekend amounted to $27.8 million. The industry’s year-to-date revenue for 2026 has reached $2.36 billion, which, however, marks a 42.3% decline compared to the same period during a highly successful 2025.
Source: Variety
