Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible 8 defies US-China tensions, tops China box office with $25 million haul

Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning posted the biggest opening for a US film in China this year.

Updated on: Jun 3, 2025, 10:28:25 IST

By Abhimanyu Mathur

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The ongoing geopolitical tensions between China and the US have not resulted in any favourable outcome for Hollywood. China, with its 10,000 screens, is one of the biggest markets for a film in the world. Each year, several American films earn millions there. But due to the rise in mistrust between Washington and Beijing of late, Hollywood films have found it hard to find audiences in China. But that cannot stop Tom Cruise, of course. His latest release, Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, has not only posted the biggest opening for a US film in the country this year, but also topped the Chinese box office overall in its opening weekend. (Also read: Did Tom Cruise just confirm the Mission Impossible franchise is dead? 'It's not called The Final Reckoning for nothing')

Mission Impossible The Final Reckoning: Tom Cruise film has broken the bank in China.

Mission Impossible 8 China box office collections

Paramount Global’s eighth instalment in the action franchise earned $25.2 million across 11,847 locations in China during the opening weekend, the studio said in a statement. The film has become the top-performing US release in the country for 2025, surpassing Warner Bros Entertainment Inc.’s A Minecraft Movie which raised $29 million since its April 4 debut, according to ticketing platform Maoyan.

While the Final Reckoning opening is comparable to its 2023 predecessor, the latest film’s performance stands out in a year when most US titles have struggled to gain traction in China. Minecraft opened with $14.5 million, while Walt Disney Co.’s Thunderbolts and Lilo & Stitch brought in $10.5 million and $8.7 million, respectively, on opening weekend.

Tickets for larger IMAX screens accounted for 19% of Final Reckoning’s total box office revenue, IMAX China said. That marked the highest IMAX share ever for the franchise on both opening day and opening weekend, the company said.

How Tom Cruise has defied US-China tensions

The Mission Impossible franchise has always been a symbol of Hollywood's craze in China, with all films from the action series doing well in the country. In 2018 — when US films reached a peak share of the Chinese market — the sixth installment of the franchise opened to around $77 million in China.

But that momentum slowed after Donald Trump sparked off a trade clash during his first Presidency. The recent tariffs have caused even fewer releases and diminished returns. This was evident by the underperformance of Disney and Marvel films in China earlier this year. But MI8 seems to counter the current trends.

The solid performance of Cruise’s new film, which he’s said will be his last Mission: Impossible, suggests that Hollywood pictures have withstood rising tensions between the world’s two largest economies. In April, Beijing said it would “moderately reduce” the number of US films allowed into the market as part of a broader response to trade friction. While initial negotiations between Washington and Beijing began shortly after, talks have since stalled.

IMAX China said its upcoming slate features several high-profile releases, including the fantasy epic How to Train Your Dragon by DreamWorks Animation and dinosaur adventure Jurassic World: Rebirth by Comcast Corp.’s Universal Pictures, as well as Warner Bros.’ Superman.

(With Bloomberg inputs)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

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