China Tops US in Box Office for Ang Lee's Life of Pi
By wchung | 22 May, 2026

Life of Pi has become only the second Hollywood film ever to enjoy bigger box office receipts in China than in the US, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The 3-D film about an Indian boy stuck on a lifeboat with a tiger has already earned co-producer and director Ang Lee Golden Globe nominations for best picture and best director. Four weeks after its Thanksgiving weekend release, it is nearing the $200 million mark, and still remains among the top 5 box-office generators as of this week.

Of that amount, gross receipts from China are $84.3 million while North American receipts are $69.6 million, making Life of Pi only the second Hollywood film to do better in China than in the US. The first was James Cameron’s 3D version of Titanic released earlier this year.

In 13 regions outside the US Life of Pi has racked up total box office of $129.4 million of which China accounts for 65%.

Lee said he was “very surprised” at the film’s popularity in China.

“The most fascinating thing is to hear people talk and write on the internet, particularly from China,” he said. “They’re really intense. I didn’t realize the movie really has an Asian vibe.”

Taiwan-born Lee is one of Hollywood’s most admired directors. He won an Oscar for best director for his 2006 film Brokeback Mountain and had been nominated for Sense and Sensibility. He had also won the best foreign film Oscar for the kung-fu romance Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon released in 2000.

In Taiwan Life of Pi remains atop the box office for the fourth consecutive week. It has grossed NT$146 million ($5 mil.) in Taipei and NT$350 million ($12 mil.) in all of Taiwan, making it Lee’s most successful film there. His previous top success in Taiwan had been the 2007 historical suspense film Lust, Caution.