China box office: ‘Once Upon a Time in the Middle East’ holds top spot

The war comedy-drama ‘Once Upon a Time in the Middle East’ maintained its position as the top film at the mainland China box office during the weekend of August 21–23, 2026. Produced by Dirty Monkeys and directed by Wen Muye, the film earned RMB 298.8 million ($43.9 million) in its second weekend. Since its nationwide release on August 11, the film has reached a cumulative total of $232.2 million.

The film follows a Chinese chef who moves to the Middle East to settle family debts, only to find his restaurant becoming a refuge during regional armed conflict. The production features a cast including Shen Teng, Jiang Qiming, Aarif Rahman, and Omar Sherif.

In second place, the crime drama ‘V’ from Pearl River Film Group made its debut, earning $18.9 million over the three-day period and bringing its cumulative total to $30.7 million. Universal’s ‘The Odyssey’ held the third position with $15.9 million for the weekend, while the animated feature ‘All Wishes Come True!’ and ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ rounded out the top five.