(Yicai) Aug. 19 -- China’s movie ticket sales this summer have already soared past the CNY10 billion (USD1.4 billion) mark and the season is not over yet. Industry insiders say this summer’s haul could outperform that of the same period last year, paving the way for annual ticket sales to hit the target of CNY50 billion.

Some 267 million moviegoers had headed to the cinema this summer, as of 2.28 p.m. yesterday, according to online ticketing platform Maoyan. There were 32.9 million screenings, with tickets costing an average of CNY37.30 (USD5.20) each. Historical movie ‘Dead to Rights’ currently leads the summer box office chart.

This year’s summer lineup has been especially diverse, with 153 films hitting theaters. Genres range from historical dramas and animated features to comedies, period films, action flicks, sports dramas, thrillers, war epics and crime stories.

The summer box office has shown strong momentum, said Chen Jin, a data analyst at ticketing platform Beacon. In July, ticket sales rose for three weeks straight from the month before, and daily revenue topped CNY100 million (USD14 million) for 31 days in a row. With 10 days still left in the season, total earnings are on track to surpass last year’s haul early, putting the box office on track to achieving its yearly target of CNY50 billion.

Box-office takings in the large first-tier cities have rebounded, with those in eastern China performing particularly well, Chen said. ‘Dead to Rights’ has been a big hit in the smaller third- and fourth-tier cities, while comedies such as ‘The Stage’ and ‘The Lychee Road’ have done especially well in the country’s northern regions.

The 2025 summer season is already close to matching last summer’s overall performance even though it is not over yet, said Lai Li, an analyst at Maoyan Entertainment. There are still more than 10 new movies, including 'Final Destination: Bloodlines' and 'Eden,' lined up for release. These films should give the summer box office one last boost and help keep the momentum going, he added.

Editor: Kim Taylor