'Dear You' Damai Entertainment U.S. filmgoers will soon get the chance to check out China’s biggest sleeper hit of 2026. Dear You, the family drama that was made for just $2 million but went on to earn nearly $300 million over the spring and summer, opens in select North American theaters on Sept. 4, courtesy of specialty label Well Go USA. The indie distributor and its partners released a first U.S. trailer for the film on Thursday (see it below).
A multi-generational story of love and loyalty, Dear You is co-written and directed by Lan Hongchun and told in the minority Teochew language. It stars a cast of almost entirely non-professional actors, led by Li Sitong, a 22-year-old finance graduate with no prior screen credits, as the young woman at the heart of the film’s mystery. The film draws its language and setting from Chaoshan, the corner of eastern Guangdong province around the cities of Shantou, Chaozhou and Jieyang whose Teochew-speaking communities sent millions of migrants into Southeast Asia in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Related Stories
Movies 'End of Oak Street' Box Office Aims to Take Bite Out of 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'
News Analysis The Emmys Rules Are Excluding Tons of Great International TV
The story follows a debt-ridden grandson who travels to Thailand in search of the “millionaire” grandfather who left during wartime and never returned — only to learn the man is long dead, and that the letters and remittances his grandmother received over a period of decades were sent by a generous stranger. Lan has said he spent three years interviewing more than 120 elderly Chaoshan residents and migrants, with most of the plot drawn from their accounts. The film’s supporting stars include Wang Yantong, Wu Shaoqing, Zheng Runqi and Wang Xiaohui.
Released in China on April 30 with little fanfare, the film opened to just $550,000 (RMB 3.8 million), buried under several much starrier titles that were also released for China’s busy May Day holiday weekend. But word of mouth soon took over. The film eventually climbed to No. 1 by May 10 and stayed there for more than 20 consecutive days, overtaking local crime thriller Vanishing Point, Hong Kong franchise sequel Cold War 1994 and 20th Century Studios’ The Devil Wears Prada 2, all of which had opened the same weekend with vastly bigger marketing campaigns behind them. Audiences touched by Dear You‘s heartwarming story of love and sacrifice lifted its score on review site Douban to 9.3, the highest rating for a Chinese release in more than a decade. Only Chinese New Year hit Pegasus 3 ($600 million) and Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Soccer ($338 million) have earned more at China’s box office this year.
“We’re honored to bring Dear You to North American audiences following its extraordinary success in China,” said Doris Pfardrescher, president and CEO of Well Go USA Entertainment. “Lan Hongchun has crafted a deeply moving story about family, sacrifice and the enduring power of human kindness that resonates across cultures. We know audiences will be captivated by its emotional honesty and unforgettable performances.”
Dear You was produced by Luo Zhanhong, Xie Ying, Zheng Xuanxuan and Lin Guoming. Lan co-wrote the screenplay with Leng Yang and Zheng Xuanxuan.
The film made its North American premiere at the New York Asian Film Festival in July.
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day
Subscribe Sign Up
