China Box Office: ‘Minions & Monsters’ Takes Top Spot as ‘Keep Real’ Opens Second
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- "Minions & Monsters" debuted at No. 1 in China with $16.4 million (RMB111.5 million) over the July 3-5 weekend, per Artisan Gateway data, outpacing a domestic challenger for the top slot
- "Keep Real" opened in second with $10.5 million over the weekend frame and $11 million including previews; the Taopiaopiao sci-fi comedy is written and directed by Xing Wenxiong and stars Bai Jingting as a superhero navigating small-town interpersonal politics
- "Crossing" held third in its second weekend with $6.4 million, bringing the Bona Film Group war epic commemorating the Long March's 90th anniversary to a $27.6 million China cumulative
- "Backrooms" placed fourth with $4.7 million, lifting its China cumulative to $14.5 million, while "Toy Story 5" rounded out the top five with $3.1 million in its third weekend for a $36.9 million China cume
- Mainland China's overall weekend gross reached $47.8 million, and 2026 year-to-date box office stands at $2.61 billion — down 40.3% from the same period in 2025
Why it matters: That 40.3% year-over-year collapse in China's 2026 theatrical market dwarfs every individual gross on this chart. Studios like Universal can still post solid debut numbers — "Minions & Monsters" $16.4 million leads the frame — but the shrinking revenue base means even No. 1 finishes now translate into smaller payouts than they'd have earned two years ago.
