China's summer box office surges as screen hits fuel consumer spending

China's 2026 summer movie season is heating up, with box office receipts and audience turnout hitting record highs.

As of Thursday, China's total 2026 box office revenue (including presales) had surpassed 26.5 billion yuan (about $3.9 billion), with more than 670 million admissions and over 96 million screenings, according to an online ticketing platform.

The summer stretch alone has already drawn over 290 million moviegoers, while the number of screenings has exceeded 34.5 million, both all-time seasonal records.

While cinemas are drawing record crowds, the film boom is also spilling economic benefits into tourism, retail, dining and other consumer spending.

Homegrown hits light up summer screens This summer movie season, leading the chart are sports comedy film Kung Fu Soccer, animated film All Wishes Come True and Hollywood blockbuster Spider-Man: Brand New Day.

A diverse lineup of homegrown productions has been a major driver of the summer box office, with Chinese filmmakers bringing a wide range of stories, genres and creative approaches to the big screen.

Among them, All Wishes Come True, which grossed 1.6 billion yuan (around $238.1 million) , draws inspiration from the traditional Chinese legend and creates a mythical realm modeled on China's distinctive blue-green landscape painting style, showcasing the aesthetics of traditional Chinese art.

Also making waves this summer, Once Upon a Time in the Middle East, a genre-defying work that has captured audience hearts, currently holds the fourth spot at the box office, surpassing 1.2 billion yuan (around $178.6 million) in revenue after 10 days in theaters.

Set entirely in a war-torn Middle Eastern city, the film follows Xu Fu, a Chinese cook who travels abroad in search of a better life.

As bombs fall and chaos gradually draws him into the conflict, he uses food to bring a touch of warmth and humanity to life amid the devastation of war.

Cinemas evolve beyond the screen While the film market flourishes, transformative changes are taking place beyond the screen.

As part of a nationwide initiative to boost the film economy, cinemas across China are exploring new business models, bringing dining, board games, virtual reality experiences, pop-up exhibitions and even live performance stages under the roof.

The trend is turning cinemas into urban public cultural spaces, social hubs for young people and leisure destinations for the wider public.

A cinema in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province, for example, has embraced a "film plus dining" model.