Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible 8 Tops China Box Office With $25M Opening

News18

2 days ago

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Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning had the highest US movie opening in China this year, earning $25.2 million, dominating the Chinese box office.
The persistent geopolitical friction between China and the US has not favoured Hollywood. With its 10,000 screens, China stands as one of the world's largest film markets, where numerous American movies rake in millions annually. However, the escalating mistrust between Washington and Beijing has made it challenging for Hollywood films to attract Chinese viewers lately. Nonetheless, Tom Cruise remains undeterred. His latest film, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, has achieved the highest opening for a US movie in China this year and dominated the Chinese box office during its opening weekend.
Paramount Global reported that the eighth film in the action series amassed $25.2 million across 11,847 locations in China over its opening weekend. This success positioned it as the top-performing US release in the country for 2025, outstripping Warner Bros Entertainment Inc.'s A Minecraft Movie, which garnered $29 million since its April 4 debut, according to ticketing platform Maoyan.
The opening of The Final Reckoning is on par with its 2023 predecessor but stands out in a year when most US films have struggled in China. Minecraft debuted with $14.5 million, while Walt Disney Co.'s Thunderbolts and Lilo & Stitch earned $10.5 million and $8.7 million, respectively, during their opening weekends.
IMAX China noted that tickets for larger IMAX screens contributed 19% of The Final Reckoning's total box office revenue, marking the highest IMAX share ever for the franchise on both opening day and opening weekend.
The Mission Impossible series has consistently captivated Chinese audiences, with each installment performing well in the country. In 2018, when US films enjoyed peak market share in China, the sixth installment opened with around $77 million.
However, this momentum waned after Donald Trump initiated a trade dispute during his first term. The recent tariffs have led to fewer releases and lower returns, as seen in the underperformance of Disney and Marvel films in China earlier this year. Yet, MI8 appears to buck this downward trend.
The robust performance of Cruise's latest film, which he claims will be his final Mission: Impossible, indicates that Hollywood productions have managed to withstand the growing tensions between the US and China. In April, Beijing announced it would 'moderately reduce" the number of US films allowed in the market as part of its broader response to trade disputes. Although initial negotiations between Washington and Beijing began soon after, they have since stalled.
IMAX China's upcoming slate includes several high-profile releases, such as the fantasy epic How to Train Your Dragon by DreamWorks Animation, the dinosaur adventure Jurassic World: Rebirth by Comcast Corp.'s Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros.' Superman.
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