Ne Zha 2 Breaks Records, Earns $7.21 Million
With its record-breaking earnings and widespread acclaim, Ne Zha 2 has cemented its place as a cultural phenomenon, sparking national pride and inspiring a new generation of animators and filmmakers in China, while also challenging the global animation industry to take notice of the country's growing creative talent and box office power.
Ne Zha 2, the Chinese animated film, has shattered box office records, becoming the highest-grossing animated film of all time globally, with a record-breaking release in 945 North American theaters and exceeding 100 million yuan in overseas box office revenue. The film's opening weekend in North America saw an estimated $7.21 million in gross earnings, making it the highest-grossing opening weekend for a Chinese domestic film in the region in recent years.
The film's success has sparked national pride and anti-Hollywood sentiment in China, with some social media users expressing frustration over the lack of "Ne Zha 2" screenings in North America. In contrast, the latest Captain America movie, Captain America: Brave New World, has faltered in China, earning just 87.1 million yuan in its opening week, compared to "Ne Zha 2"'s 12.6 billion yuan in international sales.
The Global Times, a Chinese tabloid, attributed the success of "Ne Zha 2" to its connection with contemporary youth values and multi-character emotional resonance, while criticizing the Marvel movie for its reliance on formulaic expressions and special effects. The film's director, Yang Yu, has achieved a significant milestone with Ne Zha 2, surpassing Pixar's Inside Out 2 to become the world's highest-grossing animated film of all time.
As the film continues to break records, it remains to be seen how it will perform in the coming weeks, but its current success has already made a significant impact on the global box office, sparking a new wave of interest in Chinese animation and challenging the dominance of Hollywood films in the international market.
