The Chinese animated film “Ne Zha 2” has broken many box office records, becoming the first film to surpass $1 billion in a single market, as well as the first non-Hollywood film to join the $1 billion club.
The second installment of the mythological film series has also set a record for the number of viewers in theaters, attracting more than 160 million moviegoers, according to data from ticketing platforms “Maoyan” and “Far”.
Directed by Yang Yu, known by the pseudonym “Jiaozi”, the film began showing on the big screen on January 29, the first day of the Chinese New Year, surpassing the 2017 film “Wolf Warrior 2” and becoming the Chinese film with the most viewers. Meanwhile, total revenue (including advance sales) reached 8 billion yuan (about 1.12 billion U.S. dollars) as of Sunday.
As a sequel to the animated film “Ne Zha,” which earned 5 billion yuan in ticket sales and topped China’s box office charts in 2019, “Ne Zha 2” has captivated audiences with its stunning visuals, rich storytelling and deep cultural resonance.
This record makes “Ne Zha 2” not only a box office magnet but also a cultural phenomenon, further showcasing China’s ability to produce films that resonate with domestic audiences.
Film industry analysts are watching to see if “Ne Zha 2” can maintain its momentum and set even higher records in the days to come. On Sunday evening, Maoyan once again raised its box office forecast for the film, predicting it to surpass 12 billion yuan, from its estimate of over 10.8 billion yuan just three days earlier. This marks the first time a Chinese film has surpassed the 10 billion yuan threshold.
The strong showing marks a major victory for the Chinese film industry, which faced a difficult year in 2024, with box office revenues down 23% from 2023 and 34% from the pre-pandemic peak in 2019.
In this context, the record-breaking success of “We Are the One 2” is seen as a much-needed boost for the industry.
Lai Li, an analyst at platform Maoyan, described the film as an important milestone, especially for China’s nascent animation industry. “The success of ‘Ne Zha 2’ has set the tone for the year,” Lai said. “It highlights the incredible resilience and growth potential of the Chinese film market. We are excited to see how the rest of 2025 unfolds.”
In addition to its domestic success, “Ne Zha 2” is poised to exert international influence as a cultural bridge, offering global audiences a glimpse into China’s rich mythology and traditions.
For Yin Hong, vice chairman of the China Film Association and a professor at Tsinghua University, the film’s success lies in its sophisticated layers of narrative.
“The film imaginatively reimagines mythology, through its portrayal of the demon-spirit duality, conflicts between the magical and heavenly realms, and battles between the heavens and the underworld, creating a dramatic tension that works on multiple levels,” Yin told Xinhua.
“It touches on universal themes of childhood development, forming an Oedipus pattern that connects individual and societal narratives,” Yin said, particularly praising the film’s delicate yet masterful storytelling.
