Ne Zha 2 Breaks Records, Fuels National Pride
With Ne Zha 2's global earnings reaching $1.33 billion, it has become the first non-Hollywood film to break into the top 50 highest-grossing movies of all time, signaling a shift in the global entertainment landscape and cementing China's position as a major player in the film industry.
China's Ne Zha 2 has become the world's highest-grossing animated film, shattering box office records and sparking national pride, with the film's success leading to a surge in nationalist sentiment and calls for a boycott of Hollywood films.
The film's dramatic fight scenes and emotional resonance have been praised by critics, although some have accused it of lacking originality and relying too heavily on special effects. Ne Zha 2 has surpassed $1.6 billion at the China box office, setting new records for Imax, and has earned $104 million in Imax earnings, surpassing "Avengers: Endgame" as the highest-grossing Imax release in China.
The film's global rollout has just begun, and it is expected to continue its climb up the all-time chart, with predictions that it will overtake "The Lion King" to enter the top 10 highest-grossing films of all time. The success of Ne Zha 2 marks a coming-of-age moment for the Chinese film industry, with its modest budget and artistic and commercial success challenging conventional wisdom about the global film industry.
China's growing influence in technology and culture was evident during the recent Spring Festival, with the rapid ascent of DeepSeek's AI model and the unprecedented success of Ne Zha 2. The AI model, which is open-source and designed to benefit the global community, reflects China's technological ambitions, while Ne Zha 2 represents the country's cultural ascendancy.
The film's success is a testament to China's deliberate strategy to lead in industries that shape global narratives and define the future, with the Chinese market expected to account for $6.6 billion of the global box office total projected to reach $33 billion in 2025.
