7 movies have been scheduled for May Day release, with Q1 box office already reaching 11.575 billion yuan

Source: Securities Daily Author: Li Haoyue

Lighthouse Professional Edition data shows that as of March 23, seven movies have scheduled their releases ahead of the May Day holiday. These seven movies are “The Queen of The Devil Wears Prada 2,” “Priceless,” “Red Boy: The King of Flaming Mountain,” “Very Witness,” “Scare Doll,” “Punishment Sea,” and “Bloodied Mountain.” Based on market anticipation, the top three movies ranked by the number of people wanting to see them on TaoPiaoPiao are the comedy “Priceless,” the animated film “Red Boy: The King of Flaming Mountain,” and the imported film “The Queen of The Devil Wears Prada 2.”

Currently, the only listed company participating in the May Day box office competition is Maoyan Entertainment, which is involved in producing the film “Priceless.” Notably, the core producer and distributor of the 2025 May Day box office champion “Dumpling Queen” also include Maoyan Entertainment. Lighthouse data shows that “Dumpling Queen” has a total box office of 419 million yuan, with the distributor earning 149 million yuan. Both films star Ma Li. Whether “Priceless” can win this year’s May Day box office crown is also attracting market attention.

It is understood that in 2025, ten movies will be released for the May Day holiday. With more than a month until the 2026 May Day holiday, the number of scheduled films is expected to continue increasing.

A securities firm media analyst told Securities Daily: “In previous years, the box office volume during the May Day holiday usually accounts for 8% to 10% of the annual total, directly affecting the second-quarter financial reports of film companies. At the same time, this is also a key window to assess the market after the Spring Festival, and an important reference for adjusting the full-year box office expectations.”

It is worth noting that as of 6 p.m. on March 23, the first quarter of 2026 has already reached a box office of 11.575 billion yuan. Among them, March’s box office has reached 1.817 billion yuan, and the total box office for this month is expected to surpass 2 billion yuan.

“In recent years, movies have increasingly focused on ‘visual spectacles’ as their core selling point, driven by rising production costs and the continuous expansion of IMAX screens,” said Yang Huaiyu, senior researcher at Shanghai Summer Solstice Consulting Management Co., Ltd., to Securities Daily. “IMAX ticket prices are usually 40% to 60% higher than regular theaters. Audiences are willing to pay a premium for clearer picture quality and more immersive audio-visual experiences, indicating that cinema consumption has shifted from ‘content demand’ to ‘experience demand.’”

(Edited by: Wen Jing)

Keywords: Box Office