Film screenings during the Spring Festival in Mainland China (made by ChatGPT)
[People News] As the Chinese public grapples with job scarcity and a sudden drop in wages, many have adopted a 'lying flat' lifestyle and are engaging in 'extremely low consumption.' Concurrently, the restaurant industry is losing around 10,000 establishments daily. The Chinese film market is also witnessing a significant drop in box office revenues, with a collective wave of film withdrawals during the May Day holiday. This reflects a psychological despair among the public, who can no longer afford to dine out or go to the movies, feeling hopeless about the future.
Over the past two years, the Chinese film market has faced an unprecedented lull.
According to reports from The Dajiyuan, on April 30, the topic 'Multiple films withdraw from May Day' topped the hot search list on Weibo. Earlier this year, during the Chinese New Year, the box office for the 'Spring Festival' period fell by 39.5% year-on-year. The total box office for the Qingming Festival was only 305 million yuan, compared to 378 million yuan in 2025, which is significantly lower than the 834 million yuan in 2024, indicating more than just a halving.
Comprehensive reports from mainland media indicate that 'Three Hearts and Two Minds,' which was originally set to release on May 1, unexpectedly announced its withdrawal on the afternoon of April 30, with preview box office earnings ranging from 780,000 to 950,000 yuan, and the first-day screening rate was below 2%. The production company stated that it needed to 'reselect the release date,' but did not provide specific reasons.
On April 22, 'In the Forest There Are Trees,' also scheduled for release on May 1, announced its withdrawal and has been rescheduled for May 23, featuring actors Wang Kai and Gao Yuanyuan.
On April 18, the film "Pig Pig Hero: Ocean Diary" announced that it would no longer be released on April 30 as originally planned. Shortly after, several new films, including "Prosecutorial Storm," "Hello, Brother," "Safe Journey," "Meeting You," "Hello, Beijing," and "Mini World: Awakening," also declared their withdrawal from the "May Day slot" just days later, choosing to reschedule their releases.
The comedy film "A Thousand Golds Not Exchanged," which had previously confirmed its participation in the May Day slot, revised its official announcement on March 26, changing its release date to "2026, please stay tuned." The film features stars Ma Li and Fan Chengcheng.
The withdrawal of the three films, "Three Hearts and Two Minds," "There Are Forests in the Woods," and "A Thousand Golds Not Exchanged," has garnered significant attention.
Netizens commented, "On the eve of the May Day slot, a sudden wave of withdrawals hit, with three films pulling out of the schedule one after another. Some withdrew urgently just a day before their release, while others postponed and rescheduled, relying on limited screenings to gradually build their reputation. The main reason is that this year's May Day has seen a surge of new films, leading to intense competition in the comedy and suspense genres. Major blockbusters are dominating the screening and pre-sale slots, leaving smaller films struggling with poor pre-sale performance and disappointing box office results from limited screenings. With the market conditions being weak, film companies have no choice but to withdraw to avoid becoming collateral damage."
"With 'Three Hearts and Two Minds,' 'There Are Forests in the Woods,' and 'A Thousand Golds Not Exchanged' pulling out of the May Day slot, I checked the pre-sales on Maoyan... it was frozen."
"The 2026 May Day slot (April 30 - May 5) is experiencing a wave of withdrawals, with multiple domestic films adjusting their schedules at the last minute. The main reasons are the crowded schedule, weak pre-sales, and fierce competition, leading the industry into a collective anxiety of 'fearing to become collateral damage.'"
The entertainment content author's Sina Music Fan Community stated that the withdrawal of films like 'Three Hearts and Two Minds,' 'Forest in the Woods,' and 'Priceless' reflects a symbiotic relationship between market rationality and industry challenges. When 'release date dependency' meets 'content hollowing,' pulling films from the schedule becomes the best way for production companies to minimise losses, yet it also exacerbates the market's vicious cycle. Chinese cinema urgently needs to move beyond the 'release date theory' and restore audience trust through high-quality content and differentiated distribution—after all, it is not the release date that keeps audiences engaged, but the compelling reasons to visit the cinema.'
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