China's box office revenue this year has reached 40 billion yuan (about $5.61 billion) as of Sunday, according to China Media Group.

The milestone was achieved three months earlier than in 2024.

Domestic earnings, driven by more than 900 million admissions, accounted for 39.23 billion yuan.

Overseas releases have also made a mark. "Ne Zha 2," an animated retelling of the classic Chinese legend of Ne Zha, and "Dead to Rights," a film depicting the 1937 Nanjing Massacre during World War II, helped push international ticket sales past 770 million yuan.

Record-breaking summer season

Running from June 1 through Aug 31, the summer movie season generated 11.64 billion yuan by Friday evening.

Aside from "Dead to Rights," the top five summer performers include "Nobody," a spinoff of the acclaimed "Yao-Chinese Folktales" animation series; "The Shadow's Edge," a crime action film starring Jackie Chan; "The Lychee Road," a drama set during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) starring comedian Da Peng; and Universal's "Jurassic World Rebirth."

(With input from Xinhua)