Spider-Man Holds China as The Odyssey Looms
Spider-Man: Brand New Day held the top spot at the mainland China box office for the Aug. 7–9 weekend, grossing RMB196.6 million ($28.9 million) in its second full frame, according to Variety. The Sony release has now collected $185.4 million in China since its July 29 opening — the leading international market for a film that had reached $572 million globally as of Aug. 3, per The Guardian.
Close behind, Pearl Studio's animated fantasy All Wishes Come True! took second place with $20.4 million in its fourth weekend, bringing its China cumulative to $210.6 million since its July 18 release. It remains the highest-grossing domestic title in the current top five.
Two films arrived in preview mode and still cracked the chart. Once Upon a Time in the Middle East landed third with $15 million from previews ahead of its official nationwide debut on Aug. 11. Universal's The Odyssey, Christopher Nolan's Homer adaptation, entered the top five on previews alone — $6.9 million over the weekend, $7.6 million cumulative — ahead of its own wide launch.
Enlight Pictures' animated To Your Island opened in fourth with $7.9 million across its three-day premiere weekend.
The overall China weekend reached $97.3 million across all films. That total arrives against a difficult backdrop: the 2026 year-to-date box office stands at $3.57 billion, down 31.8% from the same period in 2025, according to Variety.
In North America, Spider-Man: Brand New Day earned an estimated $145 million for the weekend ending Sunday, Aug. 9, per Sony Pictures — figures labelled studio estimates until Monday's actuals are confirmed.
What gives the China frame its shape is the gap between what is playing now and what is about to open. With The Odyssey and Once Upon a Time in the Middle East both posting strong preview numbers, the coming week will test whether wide releases can sustain a market that is running well behind last year.
