2026-07-22
Dear You in Malaysia
Dear You kept growing in Malaysia after its June 18 release there, with an eight-day gross of RM8.2 million and a later total above RM15 million. The film was also recorded as the 2026 Chinese-language box-office leader in Malaysia. That commercial rise explains why the team still appeared in Kuala Lumpur for a fan meet-and-greet: the movie was not just running well, it was still pulling in viewers who wanted to see the people behind it. The film’s wider release plan also expanded on June 5, when its first overseas rollout was set for Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei.
Why the meet-up still mattered
The June 26 update said the film had reached RM8.2 million in Malaysia after eight days, which shows the local run was already strong before the later RM15 million milestone. By July 4, the total had passed RM15 million, and the cast appeared with fans in Kuala Lumpur at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. That sequence shows the event was part of a living theatrical run, not a one-off publicity stop.
The same update also called the film Malaysia’s 2026 Chinese-language box-office champion. When a film holds that position, a fan meet-and-greet does more than reward loyalty: it keeps the run visible and gives audiences a reason to keep talking about the movie after their own screenings.
The numbers behind the crowd
On the mainland side, the film was already a major hit: by June 4 it had reached the 1.5 billion yuan mark, and by June 7 it had crossed 1.6 billion. It was also recorded as the 2026 yearly box-office runner-up, with an eventual finish projected around 1.868 billion yuan. These figures show that the Malaysia event sat inside a much larger wave of attention.
The film had opened in mainland China on April 30, then expanded overseas on June 18. That timing matters for viewers because it means the Kuala Lumpur appearance came after the movie had already built momentum across markets, not before it had proven itself.
How the overseas rollout lined up
On June 5, the first overseas release wave was set for Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei. That meant Malaysia was part of the early expansion plan, not a late add-on. For audiences, the timeline explains why the film could keep appearing in conversations across different cities at nearly the same time.
The film was also noted in multiple places as a mainland release on April 30 and an overseas release starting June 18. That staggered schedule gave the movie two chances to build demand: first in its home market, then in nearby territories with strong Chinese-speaking audiences.
What fans were meeting the team for
The June 26 note said Malaysian viewers were extending the film’s emotions toward family letters, elders, and the search for roots. That helps explain why a face-to-face event still had pull after the box-office climb: people were responding to the story as a memory trigger, not only as a commercial hit.
The July 4 meeting in Kuala Lumpur brought together director Lan Hongchun, lead actor Li Sitong, and Wang Yantong. For viewers, that kind of appearance turns the film’s themes into a shared conversation, letting audiences connect the story on screen with the people who shaped it.