A Record-Setting Hollywood Debut
Sony Pictures and Marvel's Spider-Man: Brand New Day opened at No. 1 at the mainland China box office during the July 31–Aug. 2 weekend, generating RMB463.5 million (approximately $68.1 million) over its three-day opening frame, according to Artisan Gateway. Including Tuesday and Wednesday previews, the film has accumulated $121.3 million in its first five days of release, making it the biggest Hollywood opening in China since Avengers: Endgame in 2019. Sony Pictures has confirmed the film is now the highest-grossing Hollywood release in the country this year.
Premium Format and IMAX Performance
IMAX China reported that Spider-Man: Brand New Day grossed more than $19.2 million at IMAX venues in China, marking the largest IMAX opening weekend for a Hollywood film in the country since Avengers: Endgame. IMAX accounted for approximately 16% of the film's nationwide opening weekend box office from roughly 1% of total screens, the highest IMAX index ever recorded for the live-action franchise. Midnight screenings generated more than $1.2 million, or 30% of nationwide midnight grosses, setting a new 2026 IMAX China midnight record and the biggest IMAX midnight performance for both the Spider-Man franchise and any single-character superhero film.
Local Competition and the Rest of the Top Five
The Hollywood tentpole still led a chart dominated by domestic Chinese productions. Pearl Studio's animated fantasy All Wishes Come True! held second place in its third weekend with $31.8 million, bringing its cumulative total to $171.5 million since its July 18 debut. Stephen Chow's sports comedy Kung Fu Soccer remained third in its fourth frame, adding $14.1 million for a cumulative $318.5 million. Hezhong Ruike Media's workplace comedy Make Zhonghe Great Again (Johnny Keep Walking! 2) opened in fourth with $8.9 million over its two-day weekend, and Universal's Obsession rounded out the top five with $4.7 million in its second weekend.
Overall Market Health
Mainland China's overall weekend grosses reached $132.3 million, described as the country's biggest weekend in several months. The 2026 year-to-date box office stands at $3.39 billion, down 32% from the same period in 2025, though the gap has continued to narrow with the arrival of major releases. Industry analysts framed the result as a positive signal for Hollywood studios rebuilding their presence in the world's second-largest film market after years of import quotas, regulatory reviews, and rising competition from domestic films. Separately, tracking data showed the film earning $10.8 million on its third Monday in China, the third-biggest Monday post-COVID for a Hollywood release, lifting its six-day cume to $132.7 million.
What Remains Uncertain
Reports framed the debut as exceeding industry expectations, but noted that the film opened without IMAX screens in some configurations and faces continued competition from successful Chinese productions. The sources do not specify attendance totals for the China run or project the film's ultimate gross in the market, leaving the long-tail trajectory dependent on holds in subsequent weekends.
Next Milestone
IMAX China has confirmed that Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, the first feature shot entirely with IMAX film cameras, will open in IMAX theatres across China on August 14, with nationwide previews beginning August 8, providing the next premium-format event on the market's calendar.
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