Gupi ve Gülmeyen Kral Leads 2026 Turkish Film Openings

Gupse Özay’s animated film Gupi ve Gülmeyen Kral (Gupi and the King Who Doesn’t Laugh) has had the strongest opening of any Turkish film in 2026, according to Hürriyet. The paper reports that 136,539 people watched it in its first three days, after it reached cinemas on 23 October.

Özay wrote the story, which she based on her own childhood. Over the weekend she also travelled to Europe to meet young audiences at two screenings.

Gupi ve Gülmeyen Kral: opening weekend figures

Hürriyet describes the 136,539 admissions as the best opening among Turkish films this year. The figure covers the film’s first three days in cinemas. We could not find a second outlet repeating the number, so it rests on Hürriyet’s report.

The result stands out for a family animation. Turkish animated features are far less common in cinemas than comedies or dramas, so a large first weekend is notable for the genre.

Gupse Özay meets families in Germany and the Netherlands

Özay joined audience meetings at two European cinemas. On Saturday she appeared at CineStar Oberhausen in Germany. On Sunday she visited Pathé De Kuip in Rotterdam, in the Netherlands.

According to Hürriyet, she spoke with children and their families after the screenings. She then posed for photos with fans one by one.

These visits matter because many Turkish-speaking families live in both countries. Screenings abroad give those audiences a chance to see a Turkish-language film with its creator present.

What else is known about the film

Turkish outlets list the film as an animated adventure comedy running about 81 minutes. Arkın Aktaç directed it, and Gupi Animasyon Film produced it. Its promotion describes it as Türkiye’s first IMAX animation film.

Özay is best known as an actress, so this project shows her working as a writer as well. Final cumulative box office totals for the film have not been confirmed.

Source: Hürriyet
Featured image: Beyazperde