Spider-Man: Brand New Day Powers Record China Opening as Kung Fu Soccer and Dear You Also Score

Spider-Man: Brand New Day posts record China opening

Spider-Man: Brand New Day opened in Chinese theaters on a Wednesday with a first-day gross of approximately $35 million to $37 million, according to data from local tracking platforms such as Maoyan. Sacnilk reports the debut represented the biggest opening day for a superhero film in China in seven years. Pre-sales wrapped at roughly $18.6 million (RMB 126.2 million), described as the strongest for any imported film in the last three summers, while midnight previews generated more than $3.25 million in ticket sales across 9,400 screenings. Sources differ slightly on the headline figure: Koimoi and Zoom TV report $35 million, while Sacnilk cites approximately $37 million from Maoyan, and Báo Tiền Phong, citing QQ, reports RMB 210 million for the opening day.

Tracking for historic weekend despite Day 2 dip

The film experienced a 47.7 percent drop on its second day in China, collecting $18.3 million on Thursday across 172,000 screenings, according to Koimoi and Zoom TV. Two-day cumulative earnings stood at $53.3 million, with 73 percent of Thursday's sales occurring on the same day, indicating strong walk-up demand. Pre-sales for the Friday reached $4.2 million, with three-day weekend pre-sales totaling $9.7 million. Trade projections now point to a $60 million to $70 million three-day opening and a $115 million to $125 million five-day opening, which would rank among the top five Hollywood openings in China since the pandemic began. Koimoi notes that the three-day frame is positioned to be the third-biggest post-COVID Hollywood weekend in the territory.

Long-term China prospects and premium-format demand

Sacnilk reports early projections for the film's lifetime China run are approaching the $255 million mark, which would surpass Avatar: The Way of Water's $246 million Chinese gross. Separately, Báo Tiền Phong, citing Maoyan, projects a total China gross of RMB 1.7 billion, roughly $236 million. The two projections imply a similar order of magnitude but differ in headline number and currency framing. The film opened on 41.5 percent of nationwide screenings with a 21.3 percent occupancy rate, and IMAX and 3D screenings reportedly sold out across Beijing and Shanghai for the opening stretch. Sacnilk attributes the surge to a seven-year absence of a live-action Spider-Man on Chinese screens following Spider-Man: No Way Home's 2021 skip.

Stephen Chow's Kung Fu Soccer scores $73.6M China debut

Stephen Chow returned to the director's chair for the first time in seven years with Kung Fu Soccer, a female-led spinoff of his 2001 hit Shaolin Soccer. According to Arctic Publications, the film dominated the Chinese box office with a $73.6 million weekend debut. The story follows the underdog Emei team, blending martial arts and soccer in a tournament run. Worldwide rights have been acquired by Singapore's Encore Films, though a U.S. release date remains unconfirmed. The strong opening arrives against a broader Chinese box office that is down 38.6 percent year-on-year, largely because of the outsized benchmark set by Ne Zha 2 last year, with the new release offering a rare bright spot for domestic titles.

Dear You, China's top 2026 release, heads to the Philippines

Chinese drama Dear You, the highest-grossing film in mainland China this year according to Philstar, is set to open in Philippine cinemas on August 12 through Pioneer Films. Directed by Lan Hongchun, the film stars Li Sitong, Wang Yantong, Wu Shaoqing, Zheng Rungi, and Wang Xiaohui in a story about parents who set aside their own dreams to give their children a brighter future. Philstar reports Dear You has become a cultural phenomenon in China, resonating with audiences for its emotional storytelling and powerful performances. Pioneer Films, founded by Wilson Yuloque in 1990, is handling Philippine distribution.