Box‑Office Battle Across Genres
Shenzhen Film Studio's sports comedy "Kung Fu Soccer" opened the weekend of July 10‑12 with a staggering RMB500.3 million, equivalent to about $73.6 million, in just two days of release, instantly seizing the top spot at the mainland China box office.
The film, written and directed by Stephen Chow, marks his return to the sports‑comedy genre more than two decades after his breakout hit "Shaolin Soccer."
Its story follows a grassroots Chinese women's soccer team that blends physics‑defying martial‑arts choreography with tournament competition, turning the pitch into a stage for both humor and drama.
Universal's "Minions & Monsters" held onto second place in its second full weekend, adding $8.1 million and bringing its cumulative Chinese total to $32.4 million.
Light Chaser Animation's historical epic "Three Kingdoms: The Beginning," directed by Xie Junwei, reimagines the turbulent final years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, focusing on the early careers and shifting dynamics between legendary figures Cao Cao and Yuan Shao.
A24's "Backrooms" secured fourth position, contributing $3.2 million and pushing its overall gross to $21.8 million.
Taopiaopiao's satirical comedy "Keep Real" rounded out the top five, collecting $3 million in its sophomore weekend and starring Bai Jingting as Superman Wang Changhai, a superhero dispatched back to his hometown to form a combat squad.
Mainland China's overall weekend grosses reached $101.2 million, though the 2026 year‑to‑date revenue of $2.74 billion reflects a 38.6 percent decline compared with the same period in 2025.
The strong opening of Chow's film and the continued performance of diverse titles illustrate a vibrant, if uneven, recovery for the Chinese cinema market.