Comedies lead advance releases to kick off summer movie race
Recent adjustments to the release dates of highly anticipated new films suggest that competition for this year's summer blockbusters is heating up.
Two comedy films, "You Are the Best" by Jiang Wen and "The Lychee Road" by Da Peng – both veteran Chinese actors turned directors – will now hit the screens on Friday, July 18, a week ahead of their scheduled late July release dates.
In recent preview screenings, "The Lychee Road" received rave reviews from moviegoers. As of July 15, the presale box office earnings for the new release, including previews, neared 40 million yuan (around $5.5 million), according to Maoyan, a major Chinese movie ticketing platform.
A poster for The Lychee Road starring Hong Kong superstar Andy Lau/Photo provided to CGTN
Industry insiders generally agree that if "The Lychee Road" can maintain the positive word-of-mouth interest generated from its previews, it could become the first film to break the 1-billion-yuan box-office threshold during this summer's movie season.
An IMAX poster for The Lychee Road/ Photo provided to CGTN
Both "You Are the Best" and "The Lychee Road" have been released in an IMAX version in a bid to attract more filmgoers seeking a relaxed movie-watching experience, and IMAX-exclusive posters have also been released, according to Mtime.com, a leading Chinese film site.
On the other hand, the latter half of the summer blockbuster season will see the release of several war-themed films. "731 Biochemical Revelations," "Dead to Rights,"and "Dongji Rescue" are all scheduled for release in late July or early August. With their profound historical themes and strong sense of patriotism, these films are likely to attract a wide base of movie fans.
As of July 15, the total box-office earnings, including pre-sales for the June-to-August period of 2025, have exceeded 3.34 billion yuan, suggesting that the summer film market is gradually heating up, according to ticketing platform Beacon.