A low-budget Teochew drama became China's surprise box office hit

Against a movie market crowded with crime thrillers, franchise sequels and big-budget spectacle, one of China's biggest box office hits this year is a quiet Teochew-language drama made for just over 10 million yuan.

"Dear You," directed by LAN Hongchun and starring largely first-time actors, has crossed 700 million yuan (US$102 million) at China's box office after topping daily ticket sales for 11 straight days. The film is now among the country's five highest-grossing releases of 2026, according to ticketing platforms Maoyan and Beacon.

What surprised many in China's film industry was not just the scale of its success, but the kind of movie it is.

There are no major stars. No visual effects. Much of the dialogue is spoken in the Chaoshan dialect, a regional language from southern China that rarely appears in mainstream cinema. The story unfolds slowly, through letters, silence and emotional restraint.

The film centers on two women connected over nearly two decades through "qiaopi" — letters and remittances once sent home by overseas Chinese migrants. After one woman’s husband dies while working abroad, the two gradually build a bond shaped by grief, duty and care across time and distance.

Audiences have embraced the film's emotional realism and understated performances, helping turn it into one of the year's biggest word-of-mouth sensations. On review platform Douban, it currently holds a rare 9.1 out of 10 rating.

Both Maoyan and Beacon now expect the film to surpass 1.6 billion yuan in total box office revenue after repeatedly revising projections upward since its April 30 release.

The success of "Dear You" also arrives at a moment when China's film industry has been searching for signs that audiences are still willing to show up for smaller, original stories — especially ones rooted in local culture rather than established IP.