Smashed Chinese box office records. Now it’s hitting Western cinemas

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/14/media/china-ne-zha-2-box-office-success-intl-hnk/index.html

Ne Zha 2,” an animated blockbuster loosely based on Chinese mythology, is now the world’s highest-grossing movie of all time in a single market, racking up a staggering $1.4 billion in ticket sales in China since its January 29 release.

It dwarfs the previous record held by “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which netted $936 million in the United States and Canada in 2015. The Chinese production is also the first non-Hollywood film to break into the all-time global top 20 of highest-grossing films.

China’s domestic film industry has pounced on the opportunity. Animation rooted in traditional Chinese folklore, enhanced with state-of-the-art special effects, has proven to be a winning formula.

Following its record-breaking run in China, “Ne Zha 2” has headed overseas, with wide releases in Australia and New Zealand on Thursday and North America on Friday. It became an instant hit among the Chinese diaspora – many rushed to snap up presale tickets days in advance and lined up for its premieres.