The Chinese anti-war film "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East" — known at home as "Welcome to Dragon Restaurant" — surpassed "The Odyssey" at the Chinese box office, per reports. The Christopher Nolan blockbuster, which already earned over $1 billion worldwide in a month, came second.
Directed by Wen Muye, the war drama, which features comedic elements, was released on August 11, 2026, and quickly became a major box-office success in mainland China due to its unique, realistic anti-war message told from a kitchen rather than a battlefield.
The story follows Xu Fu (played by Shen Teng), a down-on-his-luck chef from northeast China who travels to Baghdad, Iraq, to open a restaurant and pay off heavy family debts. Alongside his floor manager Ma Junsheng (Jiang Qiming), their "Dragon Restaurant" enterprise attains popularity for serving authentic Chinese cuisine. When a full-scale war breaks out involving Western forces, the restaurant unexpectedly turns into a sanctuary for local civilians, orphans, and children. Instead of fighting, Xu Fu’s survival instinct turns to feeding people and holding onto normalcy as everything collapses around him.
The film is celebrated for its cultural fusion (such as combining traditional Chinese cooking techniques with Middle Eastern ingredients). While set in Baghdad, the movie’s distinct, rugged desert streetscapes were actually filmed in the industrial heritage town of Shitanjing in Shizuishan, Ningxia, China.
During the three-day weekend frame, "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East" dominated the mainland market, taking the #1 spot with $70.3 million (RMB 477.9 million). "The Odyssey" pulled in $28.4 million for the weekend. Given an earlier push from a Tuesday premiere, "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East" accumulated $134.1 million in its first six days. "The Odyssey" stood at $35.9 million by the end of the weekend, which includes preview earnings.
"The Odyssey" completely dominated premium formats, locking down 90% of the country's IMAX footprint and breaking the record for the biggest IMAX opening weekend ever for a Christopher Nolan film in China. However, "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East" was so dominant even in standard theatres that it managed to generate $2.1 million from the leftover IMAX screens.
