A Minecraft Movie Tops China Box Office; Mixed word of mouth in Middle Kingdom is the only worry

A Minecraft Movie has officially ended Ne Zha 2’s nine-week dominance at the Chinese box office, debuting at No. 1 for the weekend of April 4–6 with a solid USD 14.5 million gross. The live-action adaptation of the beloved video game by Mojang Studios opened strongly with USD 6.5 million on Friday but appeared frontloaded, slipping to USD 5 million on Saturday and further to USD 3 million on Sunday across an impressive 96,000 screens.

Starring Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Emma Myers, Danielle Brooks, and more, the fantasy adventure comedy marks the biggest opening for a Hollywood title in China this year, surpassing The Super Mario Bros. Movie’s USD 11.6 million debut. However, the film’s run may face hurdles due to mixed word of mouth from Chinese audiences.

While early viewers on Maoyan rated the film a strong 9.0 — equivalent to an A- on the CinemaScore scale—the positive buzz has been tempered by the film’s low 5.8 score on Douban, unveiled on Sunday. Such a significant disparity between review platforms often signals a divide between general audiences and critical ones, potentially impacting the film’s staying power.

The Saturday drop, uncommon for major launches, hints at lopsided interest, and with just USD 70,000 in Monday presales across 73,000 scheduled screenings—down 26,000 from Sunday—the trend appears to be concerning.

Directed by Jared Hess and based on the 2011 game, A Minecraft Movie follows four misfits who are transported into a pixelated, cubic world where they must learn craftsmanship to survive. Teaming up with an expert crafter named Steve, the group embarks on an adventurous expedition that must end with their return home.

The long-gestating project saw multiple changes in direction and writing since its inception in 2014. Filming took place in New Zealand between early and mid-2024, with Sony Pictures Imageworks, Weta FX, and Digital Domain handling visual effects, and Mark Mothersbaugh composing the score. Fans are widely appreciating both elements of the film.

The production logged a USD 300 million-plus global opening weekend on a USD 150 million budget, making it the fourth-highest-grossing film of the year already.

A Minecraft Movie is now playing in theaters near you.

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