Top 10 Highest Grossing Foreign Movies in China: From Avengers: Endgame to Dangal

The Chinese film market has experienced significant growth over the years, becoming one of the most lucrative box offices globally. While domestic films like “Ne Zha 2“ and “The Battle at Lake Changjin” have dominated the charts, foreign films have also made a substantial impact. Historically, foreign films have been a rare sight in Chinese cinemas, but with the opening up of the market, movies from around the world have started to gain traction.
One of the earliest foreign films to achieve significant success in China was the Japanese film Kimi yo Fundo no Kawa o Watare (1976), which sold an estimated 800 million tickets upon its Chinese release in 1978. This success paved the way for other international films to tap into the vast Chinese market. Blockbusters like Avatar (2009) and Avengers: Endgame (2019) not only dominated global box office charts but also gained immense popularity in China, where their cutting-edge visuals, universal themes, and star-studded casts strongly resonated with audiences. In 2019, Avengers: Endgame became the highest-grossing Hollywood movies in China.
In recent years, non-Hollywood foreign films have seen remarkable success in China. For instance, “Dangal”, an Indian film, became the highest-grossing Indian film in China, surpassing Japanese hits like “Your Name”. This trend highlights the diverse tastes of Chinese audiences and their willingness to engage with stories from different cultures. The success of these films not only reflects the growing influence of global cinema in China but also underscores the potential for international collaborations and co-productions. As the Chinese box office continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how foreign films navigate this dynamic market and what new records they might set in the future.
List of Highest Grossing Foreign Movies in China
Here is the list of the highest grossing foreign films in China (highest grossing international films in China).
Rank | Title | Year | Country | Total gross (CN¥) | Director | Stars |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Avengers: Endgame | 2019 | United States | ¥4,250,410,000 | Anthony and Joe Russo | Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Paul Rudd, Brie Larson, Karen Gillan, Danai Gurira, Benedict Wong, Jon Favreau, Bradley Cooper, Gwyneth Paltrow, Josh Brolin |
2 | The Fate of the Furious | 2017 | United States | ¥2,670,960,000 | F. Gary Gray | Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Scott Eastwood, Nathalie Emmanuel, Elsa Pataky, Kurt Russell, Charlize Theron |
3 | Furious 7 | 2015 | United States | ¥2,426,590,000 | James Wan | Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Djimon Hounsou, Kurt Russell, Jason Statham |
4 | Avengers: Infinity War | 2018 | United States | ¥2,390,540,000 | Anthony and Joe Russo | Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldaña, Josh Brolin, Chris Pratt |
5 | Aquaman | 2018 | United States | ¥2,013,200,000 | James Wan | Jason Momoa, Patrick Wilson, Amber Heard, Willem Dafoe, Dolph Lundgren, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Nicole Kidman |
6 | Transformers: Age of Extinction | 2014 | United States | ¥1,977,520,000 | Michael Bay | Mark Wahlberg, Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor, Sophia Myles, Bingbing Li, Titus Welliver, T.J. Miller |
7 | Venom | 2018 | United States | ¥1,870,680,000 | Ruben Fleischer | Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed, Scott Haze, Reid Scott |
8 | Avatar | 2010 | United States | ¥1,712,860,000 | James Cameron | Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Sigourney Weaver |
9 | Avatar: The Way of Water | 2022 | United States | ¥1,697,500,000 | James Cameron | Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Stephen Lang, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Giovanni Ribisi, Dileep Rao, Matt Gerald |
10 | Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom | 2018 | United States | ¥1,695,880,000 | J. A. Bayona | Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, BD Wong, Jeff Goldblum, Toby Jones, Ted Levine, Rafe Spall |
11 | Transformers: The Last Knight | 2017 | United States | ¥1,551,240,000 | Michael Bay | Mark Wahlberg, Josh Duhamel, Stanley Tucci, Anthony Hopkins |
12 | Zootopia | 2016 | United States | ¥1,534,530,000 | Byron Howard, Rich Moore | Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Nate Torrence, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Tommy Chong, J. K. Simmons, Octavia Spencer, Alan Tudyk, Shakira |
13 | Warcraft | 2016 | United States | ¥1,472,300,000 | Duncan Jones | Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster, Dominic Cooper, Toby Kebbell, Ben Schnetzer, Robert Kazinsky, Daniel Wu |
14 | Avengers: Age of Ultron | 2015 | United States | ¥1,464,390,000 | Joss Whedon | Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, Idris Elba, Linda Cardellini, Stellan Skarsgård, James Spader, Samuel L. Jackson |
15 | Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw | 2019 | United States | ¥1,434,300,000 | David Leitch | Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Idris Elba, Vanessa Kirby, Eiza González, Cliff Curtis, Helen Mirren |
16 | Jurassic World | 2015 | United States | ¥1,420,730,000 | Colin Trevorrow | Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Vincent D’Onofrio, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Omar Sy, BD Wong, Irrfan Khan |
17 | Spider-Man: Far From Home | 2019 | United States | ¥1,417,680,000 | Jon Watts | Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Zendaya, Cobie Smulders, Jon Favreau, J. B. Smoove, Jacob Batalon, Martin Starr, Tony Revolori, Marisa Tomei, Jake Gyllenhaal |
18 | Ready Player One | 2018 | United States | ¥1,396,660,000 | Steven Spielberg | Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Lena Waithe, T.J. Miller, Simon Pegg, Mark Rylance |
19 | F9 | 2021 | United States | ¥1,392,330,000 | Justin Lin | Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, John Cena, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Michael Rooker, Helen Mirren, Kurt Russell, Charlize Theron |
20 | Dangal | 2017 | India | ¥1,299,180,400 | Nitesh Tiwari | Aamir Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra, Zaira Wasim, Suhani Bhatnagar, Sakshi Tanwar, Aparshakti Khurana, Ritvik Sahore |