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Dirty Monkeys’ war comedy-drama “Once Upon a Time in the Middle East” took command of the mainland China box office during the Aug. 14–16 weekend, grossing RMB477.9 million ($70.3 million) over the three-day frame,
according to data from Artisan Gateway.
Following its Tuesday, Aug. 11 rollout and earlier previews, the production has amassed a cumulative total of $134.1 million. Directed by Wen Muye (“Dying to Survive”) from a screenplay co-written with Lang Qunli and Wei Zhong, the film stars Shen Teng as a Chinese chef who moves to the Middle East to open an eatery to pay off family debts. Alongside his floor manager, played by Jiang Qiming, their business turns into an unexpected sanctuary for local civilians and children when armed conflict erupts. The cast also features Aarif Rahman and Omar Sherif. From the Imax screens left over from the saturation “The Odyssey” release, “Once Upon a Time in the Middle East” collected $2.1 million.
Universal’s Christopher Nolan epic “The Odyssey” debuted in second place, pulling in $28.4 million across its official three-day opening weekend. Bolstered by early previews, the tentpole has reached a cumulative $35.9 million in the territory. The 20,000 screen Middle Kingdom release followed a high-profile Beijing promotional tour and secured an extensive Imax footprint across the country. Including previews, the Imax cume is $19.3 million in China and the company said that this marks the biggest opening weekend ever for a Christopher Nolan film in China, both in Imax box office and Imax indexing.
Pearl Studio’s animated fantasy feature “All Wishes Come True!” moved to third position in its fifth weekend, taking in $13.1 million. Directed by Mu Zhengyang, the mythological comedy has accumulated $235.9 million since its July 18 debut, tracking eight ordinary mortals who combine their wit to outsmart celestial deities and earn the mantle of the Eight Immortals.
Sony’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” placed fourth in its third full weekend, collecting $9.9 million. The film has reached a cumulative total of $209 million since launching on July 29, continuing its run as the top-grossing Hollywood import in China this year.
Enlight Pictures’ animated fantasy romance “To Your Island” held onto fifth place, taking $2.6 million in its sophomore frame for a cumulative total of $15 million. Directed by Zhou Haoran and adapted from Fan Dawang’s popular web novel, the story follows a young woman led by a paper crane to a mysterious island, where she reconnects with her former boyfriend, who has lost his memories and been transformed into a rabbit.
Mainland China’s overall weekend grosses reached $132.9 million, while the 2026 year-to-date revenue stands at $3.79 billion, down 30.4% from the same period in 2025.
