📽 'Kung Fu Soccer' Continues to Power China's Box Office
Stephen Chow's sports comedy Kung Fu Soccer continued its strong performance at the Chinese box office, grossing $73.7 million in its second weekend. The spin-off to the legendary Shaolin Soccer has reached a cumulative total of $214.3 million across its first nine days of release, according to data from analytical agency Artisan Gateway.
The second-weekend performance was virtually identical to the film’s initial two-day opening frame ($73.6 million)—an anomaly for the Chinese theatrical market, where second-weekend drops typically exceed 50%.
The 64-year-old Stephen Chow directed and wrote the project, marking his first directorial outing since 2019’s The New King of Comedy, though he does not appear on screen. The film’s premiere was timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the original picture and the height of football fever surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The plot reimagines the classic concept, focusing on an underdog women’s team that applies martial arts to their matches.
Industry analysts highlighted the director’s unorthodox marketing strategy: Chow announced the release date in late June, launching the film into theaters less than three weeks later with virtually no traditional promotional campaign. International distribution rights outside mainland China were acquired by Singapore-based Encore Films, which previously handled the successful release of the animated megahit Ne Zha 2.
During its second weekend, Kung Fu Soccer faced fierce competition from Pearl Studio’s animated fantasy All Wishes Come True. Launching on Saturday, the feature grossed $30.6 million over two days, bringing its total box office—including previews—to $39.6 million. The global rollout for the Pearl Studio and CMC Pictures title is set for mid-August.
The remaining titles in the top five lagged significantly behind the weekend leaders:
- 3rd place: The female friendship drama A Part of Me debuted to $13.6 million.
- 4th place: The animated feature Minions & Monsters added $3.7 million for the weekend (reaching a cumulative $40.3 million in China).
- 5th place: Christopher Smith’s 2009 thriller Triangle, starring Melissa George, grossed $3.7 million in its official theatrical debut in China, 17 years after its original release.
Propelled by Chow’s hit, China’s total 2026 box office earnings reached $2.97 billion, significantly narrowing the year-over-year gap left by the record-breaking performance of Ne Zha 2 in the first half of 2025.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
