In a historic achievement, the Chinese animated blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” has soared to become the highest-grossing animated film worldwide. As of 7:35 p.m. Beijing Time on February 18, the film has amassed a staggering 12.32 billion yuan (approximately $1.7 billion) in global box office earnings, including pre-sales and overseas revenue, according to online movie platform data.
This milestone breaks the previous record set by “Inside Out 2,” placing “Ne Zha 2” among the top eight highest-grossing films of all time. The film has captivated audiences with its innovative storytelling, emotional depth, and cutting-edge animation, garnering over 81 million yuan (around $11 million) in overseas markets.
International film critics have praised “Ne Zha 2” for its spectacular visuals and universal themes. Fred Topel, writing for “Deadline Hollywood Daily,” highlighted the film’s action sequences, stating, “The rendering of martial arts battles is as graceful as DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Kung Fu Panda’ series. The myriad creatures should appeal to international fans of fantasy epics like ‘Game of Thrones’ and ‘Lord of the Rings.'”
U.S. film producer and Entertainment Media Partners CEO Adam Leipzig applauded the film’s global resonance. “The way the story is told deeply relies on emotion, and the emotions that it evokes—both what I’m seeing here in the United States and also in China and around the world—are pretty universal emotions. So I think those emotions are resonating,” he said.
Audiences worldwide have embraced “Ne Zha 2.” As of February 18, the film holds an impressive 8.4 out of 10 rating on IMDb and boasts a 99 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. Australian moviegoer Benjamin shared his enthusiasm, saying, “I think it was really good. The animation was perfect, the story was good, and I think they should make the third one quicker. The relationship between the two characters, the bonding is really good. It is the best movie, best animation, and a good storyline.”
“Ne Zha 2” ranked among the top three in Australia’s weekend box office, grossing AUD 2.35 million (around $1.49 million) from February 13 to 16, according to box-office tracking company Numero.
The film is set to premiere in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the evening of February 18 and in the Macao Special Administrative Region on February 19, with a wide release in both regions beginning February 22.
“Ne Zha 2” has made history as the first film to exceed $1 billion in a single market, the first non-Hollywood film to surpass $1 billion in global box-office earnings, and the first Asian film to break into the global box office top 10.
