Summary
- Ne Zha 2 has earned over $2 billion, making it the fifth highest-grossing movie of all time.
- The movie's success marks the Chinese animation industry's global arrival and its capability to challenge major studios.
- Ne Zha 2's authenticity in representing Chinese mythology, along with its impressive animation, contributes to its massive popularity.
The Chinese animated movie Ne Zha 2 may not sound familiar to mainstream audiences worldwide, but it has quietly become one of the highest-grossing films ever. It has earned over $2 billion, passing Star Wars: The Force Awakens to take fifth place on the all-time box office list.
Directed by self-taught animator Jiaozi, the movie was released on January 29, 2025, during Lunar New Year, China’s biggest holiday, which lasts for two weeks. Ne Zha 2 is seen as the Chinese animation industry’s declaration of its arrival on the global stage. It proves that they can not only challenge legacy studios like Disney, Pixar, and DreamWorks but also beat them at their own game.
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Chinese animation sequel Ne Zha 2 ousted Inside Out 2 as the highest-grossing animation ever.
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Chinese Animation Movie Dethrones Inside Out 2
Ne Zha 2 has made history, earning RMB 14.8 billion ($2.06 billion) in China, per Variety and Maoyan Entertainment. Meanwhile, its biggest competition, Captain America: Brave New World, was widely considered mediocre, which makes Ne Zha 2's box office domination unsurprising. With a budget of $80 million, it became the most expensive Chinese animated movie ever made. However, the risk proved worthwhile, as the film had earned over 25 times its production cost. It has broken several records, including:
- Highest-grossing animated movie of all time (prev. Inside Out 2)
- Highest-grossing Chinese movie ever (prev. The Battle at Lake Changjin)
- Fifth highest-grossing movie of all time (prev. Star Wars: The Force Awakens)
Who Or What Is Ne Zha?
Nezha: The demon child churns the sea, or simply Ne Zha 2, is a sequel to the 2019 film Ne Zha. The titular character is a deity in Chinese mythology, often portrayed as a mischievous yet misunderstood figure. His story is primarily told in The Investiture of the Gods by Xu Zhonglin, which serves as the main source material for these films. Ne Zha’s story has been adapted many times, with one of the most famous versions being the 1979 film Ne Zha Conquers the Dragon King. The character is hugely popular in Chinese culture, appearing in movies, video games, and more.
Is There A Ne Zha 1?
The animation studio Chengdu Coco Cartoon brought Ne Zha’s story to life in 3D with their 2019 film Ne Zha. The movie drew inspiration from Pixar and DreamWorks, likely influenced by the massive success of Kung Fu Panda in China. Yet, it avoided being a cheap imitation and instead became a massive hit. It earned $742 million on a $22 million budget, making it the fourth highest-grossing Chinese film ever. Naturally, as in Hollywood, a sequel was inevitable.
Why Was Ne Zha 2 So Expensive?
The sequel took five years to make, just like the first film. Its budget jumped from $20 million to $80 million, and the output clearly shows. With three times as many characters, the film feels bigger and more intense. One standout moment is a massive battle in a village against a demon army, where demons literally rain down from the sky. The director told CCTV (via CNN) that he first asked international teams for help with key scenes, but their work didn’t meet expectations.
Sure, they might be a top-tier studio, but they could be using third-rate staff on our project. So, after outsourcing, many of the shots didn’t turn out as we wanted, and we ended up bringing them back.
The production was a massive undertaking, with over 4,000 animators — all from China — working on the film. Work was split between 138 animation studios, and just one complex sequence in the third act reportedly took an entire year to complete. When Ne Zha 2 finally premiered, the demand was so high that many people couldn’t get tickets. Theaters added extra screenings, some just minutes apart, yet even midnight shows sold out. The Lunar New Year release timing must’ve surely helped too.
What Is Ne Zha 2 About?
The first movie is about a powerful orb that gets split into two: the good Spirit Pearl and the cursed Demon Orb. The Spirit Pearl was supposed to be reborn as a hero, but a jealous disciple steals it and gives it to a dragon prince instead. Meanwhile, Ne Zha is born from the Demon Orb. Despite his dark fate, his parents try to raise him with love. He grows up wild and feared, but then he makes a friend in Ao Bing, the Spirit Pearl’s reincarnation. In the end, he embraces his parents’ love and teams up with Ao Bing to save the village from a dragon attack.
Ne Zha 2 picks up right where the first film left off. Since Ne Zha and Ao Bing lose their bodies at the end of the first movie, Taiyi Zhenren creates a new one for Ne Zha. Sadly, Ao Bing is destroyed while saving his friends. Ne Zha sets off on a quest to find a powerful artifact that can bring Ao Bing back. Meanwhile, the dragons continue their plan to escape the Dragon Palace, and the Immortal Daoist Wang and his demon hunters have their own secret schemes.
What Made Ne Zha 2 Such A Big Hit?
The film’s effect is similar to how shows like Jackie Chan Adventures introduce the Western audience to Chinese mythology, though not always accurately. Ne Zha 2 gives a more authentic take, even with some modern twists. For those interested in actual East Asian mythology, it’s a great starting point. The animation feels distinct, as it mixes traditional Chinese art styles with fluid movement, and some scenes look even better than Pixar or DreamWorks despite costing way less. This makes the action sequences, full of martial arts and magic, even more bombastic.
The movie isn’t perfect. Some fans think it’s too long and would be better if it were under two hours instead of 2.5. But its sheer scale and energy overshadow its flaws. As of March 20, 2025, Ne Zha 2 is just a few hundred million dollars away from surpassing all-time box office giants like Avatar, Avatar: The Way of Water, Avengers: Endgame, and Titanic. The film received a limited theatrical release outside of China starting in mid-February. If it continues to gain momentum, this Chinese animated blockbuster could soon dethrone Hollywood’s biggest hits.
Ne Zha 2
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- January 29, 2025
- Cast
- Lü Yanting, Joseph, Han Mo, Chen Hao, Lü Qi, Zhang Jiaming, Yang Wei, Wang Deshun, Xingliner, Gong Geer, Yang Yu
- Runtime
- 144 minutes
- Director
- Yang Yu
- Writers
- Yang Yu, Zhonglin Xu, Xixing Lu
- Producers
- Wenzhang Liu
- Main Genre
- Animation
