Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Soccer is highest-grossing summer title as Chinese cinemas rake in $1.2b

Cinemas have been losing ground to streaming platforms in recent times, but this summer has proved that the big screen still has plenty of magic left.

Powered by Hong Kong comedy legend Stephen Chow’s Kung Fu Soccer, the summer box-office season, which started on June 1, grossed 8 billion yuan ($1.2 billion) as of Aug 7, pushing the cumulative box-office revenue so far this year beyond 23.5 billion yuan, according to industry trackers Beacon and Maoyan Pro.

Marking Chow’s return as a director after a seven-year hiatus, the film — about an underdog women’s soccer team with an average age of 35 — has single-handedly raked in 2.2 billion yuan, making it the highest-grossing title of the summer so far.

Kung Fu Soccer has also sparked a wave of nostalgia with the signature slapstick humor that has defined Chow’s works since the late 1990s and earned him a loyal fan base.

Many of his films use exaggerated comedy to celebrate the resilience and perseverance of ordinary people. Speaking at an earlier promotional event, Chow said he hoped the new film would convey a belief he has long held: “Chinese kung fu is the best in the world”.

Rao Shuguang, president of the China Film Critics Association, said the movie’s strong commercial performance demonstrates that Chow still possesses remarkable brand value and box-office appeal.

“His signature style of nonsensical slapstick comedy continues to strongly attract and resonate with audiences, especially (the) younger viewers,” Rao said.

Ranking second at the summer box office is All Wishes Come True!, an animated feature that has earned over 1.3 billion yuan. It is loosely inspired by the well-known legend of the Eight Immortals who each use their unique powers to cross a raging sea without a boat.

Written and directed by Mu Zhengyang, the film boldly reimagines the classic tale by blending a heist adventure with the celestial world of Penglai, a mythical fairyland rooted in centuries-old Chinese folklore and literature.

“All Wishes Come True! has undergone a major adaptation, making it quite different from the original tale that many audiences are familiar with. The storyline is very down-to-earth, which makes it very relatable and highly entertaining,” Rao said.

In the coming days, the film will be screened in more than 15 countries and regions across North America, Oceania, Europe and Asia.

Ying Xujun, president and CEO of Pearl Studio and executive producer of All Wishes Come True!, said that Chinese animation techniques have reached an internationally competitive level after years of development, giving creators greater confidence to compete with overseas studios.

“What truly gives us the confidence to face the world is that we have found our own narrative approach — one that deeply integrates traditional Chinese culture with contemporary animation language,” Ying said.

While domestic productions continue to dominate, Hollywood has also staged a strong comeback this summer. With more than 100 Chinese and international films competing in the market, several major overseas releases fared well in drawing enthusiastic local audiences.

Among them, Spider-Man: Brand New Day — currently the world’s highest-grossing film of 2026 — has earned more than 1 billion yuan on the Chinese mainland, ranking third at the summer box office.

During a promotional tour in Shanghai, actor Tom Holland and his wife, Zendaya, who is also the film’s female lead, greeted Chinese fans, with Holland revealing his admiration for kung fu icon Jackie Chan. He said that Chan’s stunt team had trained him and helped choreograph the action sequences.

Looking ahead, the summer lineup remains packed with high-profile releases, including A-list actor Shen Teng’s comedy Once Upon a Time in the Middle East, acclaimed director Christopher Nolan’s epic The Odyssey, and the Anne Hathaway-starring sci-fi film The End of Oak Street.

Many industry insiders expect the market’s strong momentum to continue, providing a much-needed boost to China’s once-sluggish theatrical business.

The increasingly crowded release schedule, however, has also intensified competition. At least eight films have recently withdrawn from cinemas or postponed their release dates, drawing widespread attention within the industry. Among these are the animated feature Three Kingdoms: The Beginning and the science fiction drama The Decisive Moment, both of which were highly anticipated.

Rao, from the film critics association, said the growing number of release-date changes reflects a more complex and competitive market, requiring filmmakers and distributors to find new ways to attract younger audiences whose attention has increasingly shifted to short videos and AI-generated content.

Contact the writers at xufan@chinadaily.com.cn