By Ellite Times Team 
An Emerging Titan in the Box Office
The Chinese box office has been a show of spectacle for a while now, with “Ne Zha 2” reigning at the top of the charts and even breaking new records. Between February 28 and March 2, the box office revenue of the movie alone reached RMB471.9 million (approximately $65.5 million). The new totals pushed the earnings of “Ze Nha 2” over $1.98 billion. As the interest from the audience remains elevated, the sequel is estimated to go past $2 billion which would mark it a feat that has never been accomplished by a single-market release.
Global and IMAX Gains
In addition to traditional box office revenues, “Ne Zha 2” has been transformative for IMAX. Through IMAX screenings alone, the animated blockbuster added an extra $7.6 million, bringing it’s total earnings in that format to $144 million. More than 15 million people in China have already watched it in IMAX, turning it into the forth most watched IMAX movie in the world. Since the beginning of the Lunar New Year, IMAX features released in China have reached a total of $160 million, with “Ne Zha 2” leading the pack.
Competition at the Box Office
Other films in competition have proven particularly challenging despite the success of the initial feature. As One Production’s “Detective Chinatown 1900” held the second position and earned an additional $6.9 million, bringing its total to $476.4 million. The animated children’s film “Boonie Bears: Future Reborn” came in third, earning $1.9 million for a grand total of $108.5 million. Creation of the Gods 2 also continued to perform well with revenue of $1.5 million, which brings the total to $168.2 million.
Dead Talents Society, a Taiwanese horror-comedy, added $1.4 million which brought it to fifth place and increased the variety within the Chinese film market. In total, China box office earned $83 million over the weekend, which increases the total for 2025 to $3.19 billion. This marks a phenomenal increase of 65.2% from 2024 for the same time period.
Breaking Records and Global Influence
Ne Zha 2 is another animated picture alongside the previously discussed outlier that significantly dominated the domestic market, as it even beat out all of It’s competitors like Frozen 2, The Lion King, and Inside Out 2. It is now the highest grossing animated film ever. The bar was previously set by Ne Zha’s predecessor from 2019, which earned $726 million with ease. Even so, Director Yang Yu, who is also known as Jiaozi, has managed to more than double this work with the sequel.
Indeed, “Ne Zha 2” was the first film outside Hollywood to make over a billion dollars, and is currently one of the top ten highest grossing films in the world. With the current trend, this film will surpass “Spider-Man: No Way Home” which made $1.95 billion, and even “Avengers: Infinity War” which grossed $2.05 billion.
The Cultural and Political Consequences
The achievements of “Nezha 2” go beyond that of the cinema, as it has reached the status of a cultural icon. Chinese social media buzzes with discussions, calls from multiple re-watches, and marketing arounds the films. Some companies have even stopped working in order to bring their staff to watch the film, showcasing the importance the film has at a national level. Weilong Food, Zeekr, and Xiaomi have all done so and have turned the celebration of the film’s success into a sense of nationalism.
The influence the film has even extends to the international releases. Chinese audiences have shown their patriotism by actively boycotting “Captain America: Brave New World” causing his movie to plummet 86.8% in the second week. This is showing a shift to a preference for domestic films instead of foreign films, which has the potential to change the landscape of the film industry.
A Turning Point for Chinese Animation
Over the course of five years and with the efforts of 138 animation firms and 4000 crew members, “Ne Zha 2” was created solely in China. This film’s boost in animation quality – from 1,800 shots in the first part to 2,400 in the sequels – epitomizes China’s progress in the sector. One battle scene is said to incorporate nearly 200 million characters, which further emphasizes the level of ambition alongside the scale of the production.
This accomplishment story has already prompted the increase of funding towards Chinese animation. As Wang Shiyong, CEO of 2:10 Animation explained, “The film’s outstanding box office performance will attract more investment and talent to the animation industry, injecting strong vitality into its development.”
Hollywood’s Challenge and the Road Ahead
For quite some time, the box office was ruled by Hollywood, but Ne Zha 2 alongside other local favorites like The Wandering Earth series have shown that domestic films can compete against and outperform the Hollywood blockbusters. With this change, American studios will have to consider modifying their strategies by shifting to more collaboration with Chinese filmmakers if they want to compete in this lucrative market.
It’s clear that “Ne Zha 2” has outperformed in its domestic market in comparison to its international performance; however, its earnings in the U.S. are commendable. The feature earned $7.2 million in its opening weekend, setting a record as the highest debut for a Chinese-language film over the past two decades. This indicates that the external market is slowly developing an appetite for overseas films, which might allow other non-Hollywood masterpieces to flourish globally.
Prospects of “Ne Zha 2”
If “Ne Zha 2’s” extensions in theaters domestically and internationally prove effective, then it may surpass the all-time box office records list. Its continual momentum may allow the film to overtake “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” which would further solidify its status in the history of cinema.
Regardless of where “Ne Zha 2” falls on the rankings, its effects on the industry are already set in stone. It has transformed the landscape of Chinese animation, contested the supremacy of Hollywood, and showcased the influence of patriotism on film. One thing remains clear: this is not the end of the tale of Ne Zha.