China Box Office: ‘Once Upon a Time in the Middle East’ Stays on Top as ‘V’ Debuts in Second

Dirty Monkeys’ war comedy-drama ‘Once Upon a Time in the Middle East’ held onto the No. 1 position at the mainland China box office during the Aug. 21–23 weekend, taking in RMB298.8 million ($43.9 million) in its second weekend of release. Directed by Wen Muye and starring Shen Teng, Jiang Qiming, Aarif Rahman, and Omar Sherif, the film has accumulated $232.2 million since its Aug. 11 release. The story follows a Chinese chef who moves to the Middle East to clear family debts by running a restaurant, which becomes a community refuge during armed conflict. Meanwhile, Pearl River Film Group’s crime drama ‘V’ debuted in second place, earning $18.9 million over the weekend and totaling $30.7 million. Directed by Han Yan, the film features Tony Ka Fai Leung, Zhu Yilong, Tan Jianci, and Kara Wai. The narrative centers on an ambitious individual who rises through success but faces dark consequences. Universal’s epic ‘The Odyssey’ took third place with $15.9 million, totaling $68.7 million. Pearl Studio’s animated fantasy ‘All Wishes Come True!’ moved to fourth place, adding $9.8 million in its sixth weekend, with a total of $255.7 million. Sony’s superhero blockbuster ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ rounded out the top five with $4.6 million, totaling $219.9 million. Overall weekend grosses reached $103.1 million, while the 2026 year-to-date revenue stands at $4 billion, down 28.6% from the same period in 2025.