Shenzhen Film Studio’s sports comedy “Kung Fu Soccer” dominated the mainland Chinese box office over the weekend of July 10-12, opening with a huge RMB 503 million ($73.6 million) in just two days of release, according to data from Artisan Gateway.
Written and directed by Stephen Chow, the film marks his return to the sports comedy genre more than 20 years after his classic Shaolin Soccer. Starring Xiaofei Zhang, Dilraba Dilmurat, and Lei Zhang, the story follows a Chinese grassroots women’s soccer team that uses physics-defying martial arts choreography to compete in high-stakes tournaments.
Universal’s “Minions & Monsters” moved into second place in its second weekend, adding $8.1 million to bring its total box office gross in China to $32.4 million.
Light Chaser Animation’s historical animation blockbuster Three Kingdoms: The Beginning debuted in third place, grossing $4.7 million in three days, bringing the total including previews to $6.4 million. Directed by Xie Junwei, the film is the first in a planned trilogy that reimagines the tumultuous final years of the Later Han Dynasty. The story focuses on the early careers and changing power dynamics between legendary figures Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, as political corruption, peasant rebellion, and personal ambition plunge the capital of Luoyang into absolute chaos.
A24’s “Backrooms” added $3.2 million to secure fourth place, bringing its total gross to $21.8 million.
Taopiaopio’s satirical comedy “Keep Real” rounded out the top five, collecting $3 million in its second weekend for a total of $18.5 million. The film, written and directed by Xin Wenxiong, stars Bai Jingting as Wang Changhai, a superman sent to his hometown to form a fighting force. Faced with a town where long periods of peace have fostered complex human networks and deep-rooted social etiquette, the naive protagonist must learn how to abide by deadly local etiquette and improve his emotional intelligence with the help of the local bureau chief, played by Wei Xiang.
Overall weekend box office revenue in mainland China reached $101.2 million, but year-to-date revenue in 2026 was $2.74 billion, a 38.6% decrease compared to the same period in 2025.
