As of 1:00 pm on Thursday, the total box office revenue for the 2026 Spring Festival film season reached 2.53 billion yuan ($366 million). Among the Chinese films for 2026 Spring Festival season, the Shanghai-produced film Pegasus 3 box office exceeded 1.297 billion yuan (including pre-sales), becoming the very film in this season to unlock the milestone, according to movie data platform Beacon Pro.

By 11:14 am on Thursday, China's total box office in 2026 sales revenue (including pre-sales) exceeded 5 billion yuan, data from China's ticketing platform Maoyan shows. Pegasus 3, Zootropolis 2, and The Fire Raven ranked among the top three in the annual box office charts.

The top five movies are: Pegasus 3, bagging 1.297 billion yuan; Scare Out winning over 436 million yuan; Boonie Bears: The Hidden Protector reporting more than 333 million yuan box office; Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert, over 293 million yuan and Panda Plan 2 more than 107 million yuan.

Pegasus 3 continues the series' passionate racing theme and emotional resonance of laughter and tears, telling the story of Zhang Chi and his old and new friends as they embark on a new and exciting journey in life.

The box office of Pegasus 3 is expected to exceed 5 billion yuan, according to ErShiXiong, another blogger on China's Sina Weibo platform with 4.8 million followers.

"Racing was originally a very niche market, thus it is very difficult to make the theme into a national blockbuster. Besides, it is very difficult to shoot and produce," the post said.

Another Shandong-based movie reviewer with 220,000 followers BaiShaHebian, posted on China's Sina Weibo platform that overall, the box office of this season depends on the audience's feedback and attendance rate. Pegasus 3 is leading in performance. Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert is in the counterattack with its great feedback among audience and attendance rate, while Boonie Bears: The Hidden Protector maintains a steady performance with consistent attendance rate, the post said.

Scare Out is Zhang Yimou's spy film on national security. Boonie Bears: The Hidden Protector is a family-friendly animated films for the Spring Festival season over the past decade. Blades of the Guardians: Wind Rises in the Desert is the only hardcore martial arts film in the Spring Festival lineup. Panda Plan 2, a family-friendly adventure comedy slated for the Spring Festival season, is a sequel to the Panda Plan. It breaks away from the urban treasure-protecting framework of its predecessor, featuring a fantastical collision between the national treasure panda and a primitive tribe.