China’s Labour Day box office underwhelms as consumer spending stays cautious
Cold War 1994 and The Devil Wears Prada 2 were tipped to shine in a crowded release window – but many consumers chose to stay away
Cinemas had raked in 759 million yuan (US$111.1 million) over the five-day holiday, which ended on Tuesday, according to Chinese box office data tracker Beacon Pro, up slightly from 2025’s 748 million yuan but about half the levels recorded in both the two preceding years and the pre-pandemic period.
The lacklustre showing came despite a more crowded release window, with about a dozen new titles debuting compared with nine last year.
The Hollywood sequel, however, drew a disappointing turnout following backlash over its portrayal of the minor Asian character Jin Chao, taking in only 58 million yuan and ranking third at the box office.
Critics on social media had accused the film of reinforcing “nerdy” Asian stereotypes and giving the character a name phonetically similar to a racial slur, dampening audience interest.