Universal's "The Odyssey" and local war drama "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East" surged onto the mainland China box office chart on a wave of preview screenings, even as Sony's "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" held onto the top spot for a second weekend. The strong preview showings underline continued appetite for both a major Hollywood release and a high-profile domestic production ahead of their official openings, while China's overall box office remains sharply down on last year.

"Spider-Man: Brand New Day" earned RMB196.6 million ($28.9 million) over the 7–9 August weekend, taking its running total to $185.4 million since its 29 July debut, with Pearl Studio's animated "All Wishes Come True!" steady in second on $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, while Enlight Pictures' animated "To Your Island" opened fourth with $7.9 million. "The Odyssey" entered the top five on $6.9 million in previews ($7.6 million total), as the weekend's overall China gross reached $97.3 million and year-to-date revenue stood at $3.57 billion, down 31.8% on 2025.