China Box Office: ‘Once Upon a Time in the Middle East’ Stays on Top as ‘V’ Debuts in Second

Home Film Box Office Aug 23, 2026 10:25pm PT China Box Office: ‘Once Upon a Time in the Middle East’ Stays on Top as ‘V’ Debuts in Second By Naman Ramachandran Plus Icon Naman Ramachandran Latest Busan Unveils 23-Film Vision Section Lineup 22 minutes ago Upendra Joins Cast as Teja Sajja, Shanaya Kapoor, Suparn S. Varma’s Sequel Titled ‘Zombie Reddy Nxt Lvl’ (EXCLUSIVE) 21 hours ago Korean Esports Group DRX Launches Digital Entertainment Division, Signs Two K-Drama Projects and Game Publishing Business 3 days ago See All Dirty Monkeys Dirty Monkeys’ war comedy-drama “Once Upon a Time in the Middle East” held onto the No. 1 position at the mainland China box office during the Aug. 21–23 weekend, taking in RMB298.8 million ($43.9 million) in its second weekend of release, according to data from Artisan Gateway. Directed by Wen Muye (“Dying to Survive”) and starring Shen Teng, Jiang Qiming, Aarif Rahman, and Omar Sherif, the hit production has accumulated $232.2 million since launching nationwide on Aug. 11. The story tracks a Chinese chef who moves to the Middle East to clear family debts by running a restaurant, only to see the venue become a community refuge when armed conflict breaks out across the region. Related Stories 'Frozen 3' First Details: Anna and Kristoff Get Married, Olaf Gets a Girlfriend and a New Villain Emerges