‘Ne Zha 2’ Became the First Animated Movie To Cross $2 Billion at the Global Box Office

The Chinese animated epic Ne Zha 2 has irrevocably altered the landscape of global cinema, becoming the first animated film in history to surpass the $2 billion mark at the worldwide box office. Written and directed by Jiaozi (Yu Yang) and produced on a budget of $80 million (¥600 million), this mythological sequel has shattered records previously held by Hollywood titans such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and Inside Out 2 (2024), achieving over $1.96 billion in domestic earnings alone within 33 days of release.

Serving as the sequel to Ne Zha (2019), and the third film in Enlight Pictures’ Fengshen Universe after Ne Zha and Jiang Ziya (2020). Like its predecessors, the film is loosely based on Chinese mythology stories and the 16th-century Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi) while also containing several creative differences.

Its unprecedented success underscores the growing influence of China’s film industry, blending cutting-edge animation with themes rooted in ancient philosophy to create a narrative that resonates universally. Beyond its commercial triumph, Ne Zha 2 represents a cultural milestone, aligning with President Xi Jinping’s vision of “cultural confidence” while challenging Western-dominated storytelling paradigms. This report examines the film’s record-breaking performance, artistic innovations, and broader implications for global media dynamics.

Critics have lauded Ne Zha 2 as a watershed in animation. Variety praised its “dazzling, mind-melting fever pitch” action, while The Conversation highlighted its “bold re-imagining of Chinese traditional mythology”. The film holds a 99% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, with particular praise for its emotional depth—a rarity in action-oriented blockbusters.

Ne Zha 2 Historic Financial Milestones

Ne Zha 2’s financial trajectory has redefined the limits of single-market dominance. Released during the 2025 Chinese New Year period—a peak season for theatrical attendance—the film grossed 1.1 billion yuan in three days after its release in China, which became the first movie to reach 1 billion yuan (US$137 million) at the box office during the Chinese New Year in 2025.

By its fourth day in theaters, Ne Zha 2 had surpassed 2 billion yuan at the box office. On the fifth day, it crossed 3 billion yuan, and by the sixth day, it exceeded 4 billion yuan, setting a new record for the fastest film to reach this milestone—breaking the previous record of Detective Chinatown 3 (2021), which took 9 days and 9 hours. On its eighth day, the film’s box office surpassed 5 billion yuan (US$684 million), breaking the record previously set by The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021), which reached the mark in 19 days and 9 hours. Additionally, Ne Zha 2 outperformed the total box office earnings of the first Ne Zha film, becoming the highest-grossing animated film in mainland China.

In its first 11 days, the film grossed $958 million surpassing The Force Awakens’ nine-year domestic record of $936.7 million. By March 1, 2025, its global earnings reached $1.98 billion, eclipsing Spider-Man: No Way Home ($1.92 billion) to claim seventh place on the all-time global chart. Within 33 days, it crossed the $2 billion threshold, joining Avatar, Titanic, and Avengers: Endgame in rarefied territory. Notably, 98% of its revenue originated in China, highlighting the sheer scale of the country’s theatrical market, which now surpasses North America in both screen count (80,000+) and audience capacity.

This dominance reflects strategic release timing and pent-up demand for homegrown spectacles. Unlike Hollywood tentpoles that rely on staggered international rollouts, Ne Zha 2 prioritized its domestic base, leveraging the Lunar New Year holiday—a period when families traditionally attend cinemas—to maximize word-of-mouth and repeat viewings. The result was a sustained daily gross averaging $60 million, peaking at $120 million on weekends.

[Also Read: Ne Zha 2 Box Office Collection | China | Worldwide | Day Wise]

Animated Film Supremacy: ‘Ne Zha 2’ Became the highest-grossing animated film

The film’s ascent to the top of the animated genre is particularly striking. Prior to Ne Zha 2, Disney-Pixar’s Inside Out 2 (2024) held the animation record with $1.7 billion globally. Jiaozi’s sequel surpassed this figure in under three weeks, despite costing less than half of Pixar’s $200 million budget. This cost efficiency underscores advancements in China’s animation pipelines, which combine scalable digital labor with proprietary software tools to achieve Hollywood-tier visuals at reduced expenses.

Moreover, Ne Zha 2 is the first non-English film to top the animation charts, challenging the long-held assumption that global appeal requires Western cultural framing. Its success mirrors the rise of South Korean and Japanese media but with a distinctly Chinese ethos, proving that mythological narratives can transcend linguistic barriers when paired with universal themes.

Technological Advancements

Ne Zha 2’s technical achievements mark a leap forward for Chinese animation. The sequel’s 140-minute runtime features over 2,300 CGI shots, including photorealistic water simulations and particle effects that surpass those in Disney’s Moana (2016). A team of 1,500 artists across Beijing, Chengdu, and Guangzhou collaborated using cloud-based rendering farms, allowing real-time adjustments to complex sequences like the “Demon Orb Fusion” scene, which required 18 months to perfect.

The film’s stereoscopic 3D format, optimized for IMAX screens, played a crucial role in its premium ticket sales. Unlike many post-converted 3D films, Ne Zha 2 was designed volumetrically, with depth layers calculated during pre-visualization. This approach minimized the “flat” look common in animated 3D, immersing audiences in its mythic realms.

Ne Zha 2: Beyond the Billion-Dollar Benchmark

Ne Zha 2’s historic $2 billion gross is more than a commercial milestone—it is a cultural declaration. By marrying ancient philosophy with cutting-edge technology, Jiaozi’s team has crafted a work that transcends entertainment, embodying China’s aspirations as a 21st-century creative powerhouse. The film’s domestic dominance challenges Hollywood’s global hegemony, proving that localized stories can achieve universal resonance without dilution.

Yet questions linger. Can China’s animation industry sustain this momentum amid tightening content regulations? Will future Fengshen films prioritize artistic risk or commercial safety? And how will Western audiences respond to increasingly assertive Chinese cultural exports?

As the world grapples with these shifts, Ne Zha 2 stands as a testament to animation’s boundless potential—not merely as children’s fare, but as a medium for profound cultural dialogue. Its success heralds a more pluralistic cinematic future, where stories from Shenzhen hold as much sway as those from Silicon Valley. In the words of director Jiaozi: “Mythology is not a cage, but a springboard. With each retelling, we leap further into the unknown”.