(Yicai) Jan. 31 -- Yolo, Pegasus 2 and seven other highly anticipated films are due to be released at cinemas during the eight-day Chinese New Year’s holiday next month and could break records at the box office, an analyst said.

Although none of the movies have the strong appeal of great special effects or big industry pieces, they could still set new sales records as the movie market bounces back and more people head to the cinema, Liu Chunsheng, a professor at Central University of Finance and Economies, told Yicai.

Five of the nine films are comedies and three are animations, Liu said. Comedy Yolo, produced by China Film and Alibaba Pictures Beijing, is the most anticipated film, according to Alibaba Group Holding's Dengta. This is followed by comedy Pegasus 2 and animation Boonie Bears: Time Twist.

Yolo is directed by Jia Ling who also stars in it. The last movie that Jia starred in and directed, Hi Mom, did very well when it hit screens during the Spring Festival break in 2021, raking in CNY5.4 billion (USD753.7 million).

Some movie producers are still on the fence, watching the pre-sales of the films set to debut over the holiday closely, said Xiang Kai, a young playwrite and director. So there might still be new releases over the break. And lesser-known films could become dark horses that triumph unexpectedly.

Editors: Shi Yi, Kim Taylor