The China and South Korean box offices both experienced significant upturns during the May 1–3 weekend, driven by new releases and holiday periods, marking a strong rebound for both markets.

In China, the box office saw a substantial resurgence during the May 1–3 weekend, with total grosses reaching $74.5 million as the market entered the lucrative May Day holiday period. This performance marks a sharp rebound following a sluggish April, where the previous weekend’s collective take of $16 million was one of the lowest of 2026 to date, capping a month of consistent declines. The arrival of the holiday slate more than quadrupled the market’s output in a single frame. Mainland China’s 2026 year-to-date revenue stands at $1.97 billion, which is down 48.6% from the same period in 2025.

Zhonghe Qiancheng’s suspense thriller “Vanishing Point” claimed the number one position in its opening weekend, earning RMB164.7 million ($24.2 million). Written and directed by Cheng Wei-hao and starring Zheng Kai and Liu Haocun, the film's plot begins with the unexplained disappearance of a young boy on the winter solstice, which unravels other dark threads within a residential compound, including a gambling addict attempting to hide a corpse and a woman who is the victim of an assault. Securing the second spot, the prequel “Cold War 1994” debuted with $21.2 million. Produced by Jiaxiong Pictures and directed by Longman Leung, this latest installment in the acclaimed Hong Kong police franchise features a top-loaded cast including Daniel Wu, Terrance Lau, and Wu Kang-ren, with appearances by Aaron Kwok and Chow Yun-fat. Set before the 1997 handover, its narrative unspools a tale of power and betrayal as young officers M.B. Lee and Peter Choi are drawn into a covert power struggle following a high-profile kidnapping.

In third place, “The Devil Wears Prada 2” earned $6.1 million for the weekend, bringing its cumulative total to $8.5 million since its April 30 debut. As One Production’s emotionally driven drama “Being Towards Death” took fourth place with $5.4 million. Written and directed by Chen Sicheng and starring Jiang Long and Qi Xi, the story follows a man who survives a suicide attempt and becomes a caregiver in a cancer ward, eventually helping terminally ill patients fulfill their deepest desires. Rounding out the top five, the drama “No One Is Closer Than We” earned $3.8 million. Directed by Li Xin and produced by Changying Times, the film stars Zhang Yu and Amy Chen, centering on Li Weiyang, a man struggling to secure compensation for his girlfriend’s medical treatment after a motorcycle accident.

Meanwhile, the South Korean box office also saw a surge in activity during the weekend of May 1–3, with the overall market collective gross reaching $12.2 million, nearly double the previous week’s $6.2 million. This surge was primarily driven by high-profile international sequels.

According to data from KOBIS, “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” claimed the top spot in its opening weekend, earning $3.8 million from 575,467 admissions. Since its mid-week debut on April 29, the film has grossed a cumulative $4.5 million and captured a 31.47% revenue share. In a close second place, “The Devil Wears Prada 2” made a fashionable debut, earning $3.3 million over the weekend and reaching a cumulative gross of $4.9 million from 736,033 admissions. Local horror hit “Salmokji : Whispering Water” moved to third place but remained a strong contender in its fourth week, earning $2.7 million and bringing its cumulative gross to $18.3 million from over 2.6 million admissions.

The science-fiction epic “Project Hail Mary” took fourth place, adding $776,612, bringing its total to $20.3 million since its March 18 release. Local coming-of-age drama “Audition 109” followed in fifth place, earning $506,887 and reaching a cumulative total of $1.9 million and nearly 300,000 admissions. The historical phenomenon “The King’s Warden” was in sixth place, adding $258,810. Now in its 13th week, the film has reached a total of 16,779,552 admissions and a record-breaking $110.1 million in revenue, remaining roughly 830,000 admissions short of the all-time attendance record held by “The Admiral: Roaring Currents.”

Rounding out the South Korean top ten, the documentary “Ran 12.3” earned $250,368, bringing its total to $1.3 million, followed by the identity drama “My Name” in eighth place, with a $1.1 million total. The debut of “Heartsping : Teenieping of Love” secured ninth place with $49,102, and the anime “Mobile Suit Gundam Hathaway: The Sorcery of Nymph Circe” was in 10th with $46,081, bringing its total to $294,814.