Filmmaker Stephen Chow’s latest comedy has become China’s biggest box office hit so far this summer, helping revive a sluggish theatrical market even as critics and moviegoers remain sharply divided over whether the Hong Kong actor and director has recaptured the magic of his earlier classics like Shaolin Soccer.
Kung Fu Soccer opened on July 11 in China and topped the mainland box office for two weeks, accounting for about 41% of the more than RMB 5 billion (USD 739.8 million) in ticket sales in July, according to data from China’s Maoyan Entertainment.
Released during the 2026 FIFA World Cup that ran from June 11 to July 19, the sports comedy has earned more than RMB 2 billion (USD 295.9 million), surpassing the Chinese film Dear You, a nostalgic family drama exploring the history of the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia that was released earlier this year.
Chow’s film follows an underdog women’s soccer team that uses martial arts to compete in a championship. It reimagines Chow’s 2001 film Shaolin Soccer by flipping the gender of the protagonists while retaining a similar storyline.
Starring Chinese actress and comedian Zhang Xiaofei, South Korean-Chinese boy band Exo member Lay Zhang, ethnic Uyghur actress Dilraba Dilmurat and Thai actress Chanya McClory, the film also includes special appearances by Hong Kong American comedian Jimmy O Yang, Japanese actor Takeru Satoh, and Japanese dance troupe Avantgardey.
