China’s Ne Zha 2 becomes world’s highest-grossing film in single market
The Chinese animation blockbuster surpasses the likes of major Hollywood titles such as Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
A trailer for Ne Zha 2 is screened at a cinema in Beijing on Feb 6, 2025. (Reuters/Florence Lo)
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SINGAPORE: Chinese fantasy folklore animation Ne Zha 2 has become the world’s highest-grossing film in a single market, eclipsing major Hollywood hits, as it keeps up a blockbuster run in China’s box office.
The homegrown film had already become China’s highest-grossing film last week - less than two weeks since its release.
As of Sunday (Feb 9), it had grossed over US$1 billion, becoming the first non-Hollywood movie to do so.
Millions of moviegoers flocked to cinemas across the country over the 2025 Chinese New Year holiday period to catch Sichuan animation director Yang Yu’s highly-anticipated sequel to his 2019 film.
It tells the story of the iconic and mischievous 16th-century Chinese mythology character, reimagined as a modern punk antihero.
Total revenue, including pre-sale figures, had hit 8 billion yuan (US$1.11 billion) on Feb 9, according to data released by Chinese ticketing platforms Maoyan and Beacon.
The movie grossed more than 6.8 billion yuan within the first 10 days of its Jan 29 release and has drawn more than 160 million moviegoers to date, officials said.
Maoyan spokesperson Lai Li said this makes it China’s highest-grossing film and also the world’s highest-grossing film in a single market, surpassing Hollywood titles like Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
“The success of Ne Zha 2 has set the tone for (Chinese cinema) for the year,” Lai told Chinese state media outlets. “It highlights the incredible resilience and growth potential of China's film market, and we're excited to see how the rest of 2025 unfolds.”
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State news outlet Xinhua hailed the film’s domestic box office performance over the weekend and said it marked “a major win” for China’s film industry, which had faced a tough year in 2024.
“This marks the first time a Chinese film has ever been expected to cross the 10 billion yuan threshold,” said a Xinhua news report published on Feb 10. “Industry analysts are now watching closely to see if Ne Zha 2 can sustain its momentum and set even higher benchmarks in the days ahead.”
Viewers have praised the film’s visuals, deep cultural resonance and the rich storytelling methods of director Yang, better known by his pseudonym Jiao Zi.
Rao Shuguang, president of the China Film Critics Association, praised the movie for its “fusion of traditional Chinese mythology and modern storytelling” - making it “highly relatable” to Chinese audiences.
“The film proves that a good movie needs a compelling story, sharp storytelling and well-developed characters,” Rao told Xinhua, expressing hope that China would continue to produce more high-quality films to draw audiences to theatres.
The film will open later this week in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Additional releases are being planned for later this month in Singapore, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea.
