LayarHijau – The martial arts epic Blades of the Guardians (鏢人：風起大漠) has shown increasingly strong momentum during the 2026 Lunar New Year holiday period. Directed by action legend Yuen Woo-ping and starring top names such as Wu Jing, Nicholas Tse, Yu Shi, and Jet Li, the film initially faced a challenging start before staging an impressive turnaround.
On the first day of Lunar New Year, the film opened with 132 million yuan (approximately USD equivalent pending current rate), placing fourth on the daily box office chart. Its seat occupancy rate ranked among the lowest compared to the six major releases competing during the holiday frame.
On day two, daily earnings dipped to 98.59 million yuan, raising concerns about its competitiveness amid the intense holiday lineup.
However, the situation shifted as positive audience reviews began to spread widely. Viewers praised Yuen Woo-ping’s signature fight choreography and the film’s sweeping desert atmosphere, which helped boost public interest.
By day three, revenue climbed to 112 million yuan, allowing the film to surpass the animated feature Boonie Bears: The Hidden Protector and rise to third place on the daily chart.
The upward trend continued on day four, when Blades of the Guardians earned 114 million yuan, officially overtaking Scare Out to secure the No. 2 position at the Lunar New Year daily box office.
In light of the strong trajectory, leading Chinese box office analytics platforms Maoyan and Dengta have revised their total gross projections upward. The film is now forecast to finish between 1.24 billion and 1.52 billion yuan if the current pace continues.
This steady rebound highlights the power of word-of-mouth recommendations in shaping a film’s commercial fate, particularly during highly competitive peak seasons such as the Lunar New Year holiday.
