Moviegoers walk past posters for summer releases at a cinema in Nantong, China's Jiangsu Province, on July 13, 2026. (Photo: VCG)

China's total box-office revenue for 2026 surpassed 20 billion yuan (around $2.9 billion) as of July 19, according to box-office tracker Maoyan. Pegasus 3, A Letter to Grandma and Blade of the Guardians: Desert Storm are currently this year's top three highest-grossing films.

The summer movie season is also gathering pace. As of 8 p.m. on July 19, box-office revenue for the summer period had exceeded 4.4 billion yuan (about $650 million).

This year's lineup covers a wide range of genres, including history, comedy, animation, science fiction and drama. Chinese productions such as All Wishes Come True, The Decisive Moment and Make Zhonghe Great Again are among the major releases. International titles including Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Odyssey and Moana 2 are also helping keep cinemas busy this summer.