On May 2nd, 2025, the mainland Chinese actress Jiang Qinqin and others starred in the movie “One and Only” suddenly announced its withdrawal from the “Labor Day” holiday slot during its premiere event in Beijing on the night of April 29th. This marks the third film, following “Naughty Kids vs. Adventure Bears” and “Dark Adventure,” to exit the “Labor Day” holiday slot. The news has sparked attention and discussions.
“One and Only” was originally set to be released nationwide on May 1st. Despite promotional efforts by the film’s creators in various cities in the past week to build anticipation for the “Labor Day” release, it came as a surprise when director Wang Mu unexpectedly announced on the evening of April 29th, stating that “a good show is never afraid of being late” and confirming that the film will now be officially released on May 17th. Jiang Qinqin, Zhang Jingyi, Chen Minghao, Xin Yunlai, and other lead actors, who were promoting the film in theaters at the time of the announcement, though still participated in the event, showed signs of disappointment.
Of the originally planned 13 films for the “Labor Day” release, only 10 are left competing for the holiday slot, yet the presale box office numbers remain meager.
According to data from the “Cat’s Eye” professional edition, as of 7 p.m. on May 1st, the total box office for new releases on the first day of the “Labor Day” holiday (including previews and presales) reached 150 million yuan, with an expected total box office for the day of 213 million yuan. “Dumpling Queen,” “Thunder Strike Team,” and “Hunt for Gold: Game” currently lead in box office rankings for the holiday slot, with a significant 86% decrease compared to the 2024 “Labor Day” total box office of 1.528 billion yuan, marking the lowest in nearly a decade.
On May 1st, the topic of the lackluster box office for the 2025 “Labor Day” holiday films trended on social media. Netizens jokingly commented, “This round of Labor Day films, it seems like none of them are worth watching,” with some even remarking, “Not a single one is good.”
Adapted from the French film “Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis,” “One and Only” tells the story of a girl, Yu Yan (played by Zhang Jingyi), who lives with her father (played by Chen Minghao), mother (played by Jiang Qinqin), and brother (played by Xin Yunlai) in a fish market run by their ancestors. As the only normal person in a deaf household, she has grown accustomed to navigating between her family’s silent world and the noisy world outside, serving as a bridge and translator. Wrapped in her family’s love and dependence like vines, the desire to explore the wider world burns within her. A sudden turn of events forces Yu Yan to face a dilemma between pursuing her dreams and defending her family…
Although the film received positive reviews during its roadshow, many social media users commented that “One and Only” is too tear-jerking, with the performances of several actors being very moving, suggesting viewers should bring tissues when watching it. However, the film’s early presale box office numbers were bleak, and it did not have a competitive number of screenings.
Analysis indicates that films that withdraw from release are often associated with poor box office performance, and even rescheduling the release may have difficulty reaping good box office returns due to the “aftereffects.”
In reporting on the box office performance of the first day of the “Labor Day” holiday, “Caijing” labeled the situation as follows: “Weak presales, sudden withdrawals of new films, sluggish audience willingness to watch… as the first ‘long peak season’ after the Chinese New Year, the expected performance of the ‘Labor Day’ holiday films has encountered a cold response. Excluding the special circumstances of 2020 and 2022, the expected first-day box office value of this year’s ‘Labor Day’ slot has hit the lowest point since 2015.”