Spider-Man leads China box office as previews boost rivals
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"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" held the top spot at the mainland China box office for a second consecutive weekend, even as strong preview screenings pushed two upcoming releases, the domestic drama "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East" and Universal's "The Odyssey", into the weekend's top five ahead of their official openings. The result highlighted continued strong demand for both major Hollywood and high-profile domestic titles, though it came against a backdrop of a mainland box office running well behind last year's pace.
Sony's "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" earned RMB196.6 million ($28.9 million) over 7–9 August, taking its cumulative total to $185.4 million since its 29 July debut, while Pearl Studio's animated "All Wishes Come True!" held second place with $20.4 million ($210.6 million cumulative). "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East", starring Shen Teng and directed by Wen Muye, jumped to third with $15 million in previews ahead of its 11 August nationwide release, and "The Odyssey" collected $6.9 million in previews to reach $7.6 million overall. Enlight Pictures' animated "To Your Island" opened fourth with $7.9 million. Total weekend grosses reached $97.3 million, with 2026 year-to-date revenue at $3.57 billion, down 31.8% on the same period last year.
- "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" retained top spot for a second China weekend
- "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East" and "The Odyssey" surged on previews
- China's 2026 box office remains down 31.8% year-on-year
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China's mainland box office is one of the world's largest cinema markets, and each weekend's ticket sales are closely watched as an indicator of how well Hollywood blockbusters and homegrown Chinese films are performing there. Films often begin earning revenue through preview screenings in the days before their official nationwide release, which can give an early signal of audience interest.
The releases in question include "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," a Hollywood superhero sequel from Sony, alongside several Chinese-made productions such as an animated feature from Pearl Studio and a war drama fronted by well-known actor and director talent. Universal's "The Odyssey," a big-budget adaptation of the ancient Greek epic, is also part of the mix as it prepares for wider release.
This matters because China's overall box office has been running significantly behind last year's figures, making the relative strength of foreign versus domestic films a point of interest for the film industry. How audiences split their spending between imported blockbusters and local productions can shape decisions by studios and distributors about future releases in the market.
More coverage
- Variety — Korea Box Office: ‘The Odyssey’ Bests ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’
- The Hollywood Reporter — China Box Office: ‘Spider-Man’ Holds No. 1 as ‘The Odyssey’ Storms Previews
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Originally published by Variety as “China Box Office: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ Retains Crown as ‘Once Upon a Time in the Middle East,’ ‘The Odyssey’ Surge in Previews”.