China’ s total box office revenue for 2026 reached $970 million, surpassing North America and temporarily ranking first among single markets worldwide, according to Maoyan, a Chinese movie-ticketing and film data platform on Saturday. On February 19 local time, Deadline Hollywood, an online outlet covering the US entertainment industry, published a report highlighting China’s Spring Festival season. The piece stated, “The biggest movies at this weekend’s worldwide box office won’t be from Hollywood — sorry, Wuthering Heights — but rather China,” and noted that Spring Festival sales chart led by Pegasus 3 are expected to dominate the global box office this weekend.The piece introduced the rough plots of five Chinese New Year release films: Pegasus 3, Scare Out, Boonie Bears: The Hidden Protector, Blades of the Guardians, and the Jackie Chan-starring Panda Plan: The Magical Tribe. 
Photo: Screenshot of a report by Deadline Hollywood
The author of the report, Anthony D'Alessandro, noted that in the first three days of the Chinese Spring Festival holiday season, Pegasus 3 grossed $219.5 million at the box office, citing Gower, who predicts that this film, which attracts moviegoers from kids to 80-year-olds, will ultimately claim the top spot in the Chinese Spring Festival box office with $400 million.If it ultimately holds the lead, this would mark the first time that the Pegasus series has won the Chinese New Year box office championship. When the first installment, Pegasus (2019), was released, it was outperformed by the breakout Chinese sci-fi epic The Wandering Earth. In 2024, Pegasus 2 saw its championship hopes dashed by Jia Ling's YOLO. Now, with the third installment, along with Shen Teng's wild racer character Zhang Chi, has finally ascended to the winner's podium.To review the "race" of this Chinese New Year season, we need to understand exactly what propelled Pegasus 3 to the lead.As a loyal fan of the Pegasus series, this writer felt a certain degree of disappointment upon exiting the theater after viewing of Pegasus 3. Compared to the second instalment's near-universally acclaimed "god-tier" reputation, the third one's plot progression feels somewhat formulaic and clichéd at times.In the first film, Zhang Chi was driven to prove himself, facing the obstacle of having no money to compete, while his rival Lin Zhendong was ultimately revealed as the most loyal "teammate" in the series, who truly understood him. In the second film, a middle-aged Zhang confronted five years of accumulated grievances and unfair behind-the-scenes rules of the sport. His journey from endurance to explosive breakout allowed audiences during the Chinese Spring Festival to witness a story of "old soldiers never die" — a middle-aged man still burning with passion — who overcomes the dark forces, defeats the corruption and wins the team championship. It delivered the ultimate feel-good reversal narrative, perfectly aligning with the holiday audience's desire for a "happy ending." It also resonated deeply with many 1980s-born viewers, reflecting director Han Han's own legendary path — transforming from writer to racer to acclaimed film director — and the extreme romanticism he captured on big screen with the breathtaking Bayanbulak racetrack.However, Pegasus 3 feels somewhat forced in its attempt to manufacture hardship. With the second film having already delivered a perfectly conclusion, Zhang's goal in the third installment is, after receiving an invitation from the major corporation SKYLAD to form a national team for the Asian Muchen 100 Rally, to select the best drivers for the "Chinese team" through what is supposed to be an absolutely fair process. During the selection, the film incorporates a "team-building" segment styled after the popular variety show Let's Go Now, bringing together a star-studded cast including Fan Chengcheng, Wang Anyu, Huang Jingyu and Hu Xianxu, giving fans plenty to feast their eyes on.
评论
发表评论