The long-awaited sequel, Ne Zha 2, has been a massive box-office success and a critical masterpiece. The 2025 Chinese animated fantasy adventure film continues to explore the legendary journey of the titular character. Ne Zha 2’s vibrant animation and intricate world-building have drawn comparisons to some of the most visually ambitious films in recent years. However, it is its Box Office earnings that has rivaled the best of Hollywood’s animated film genre.
Hollywood has dominated the worldwide Box Office for decades, having the highest-grossing movie each year. However, 2025 is looking to be like 2020 when a foreign movie, the Japanese animated dark fantasy film Demon Slayer: Mugen Train, dominated the worldwide Box Office. Released on January 29, 2025, Ne Zha 2 grossed $2.078 billion after its theatrical run, with domestic earnings (in China) accounting for $2.048 billion. However, the Box Office records it has set and broken have put Ne Zha 2 in the spotlight.
What Ne Zha 2’s Plot Is About
Following the catastrophic event where their physical forms are destroyed by heavenly lightning, Ne Zha’s (demon child) and Ao Bing’s (dragon Prince) souls persist but are fading. To restore their bodies, their master, Taiyi Zhenren, attempts to regenerate them using the Seven-Colored Sacred Lotus. Although it initially works, Ao Bing’s new body disintegrates after his efforts to defend Chentang Pass town. Ne Zha 2 follows Ne Zha and Ao Bing’s quest as they face several trials and adventures. In addition to its Box Office success, Ne Zha 2 is critically acclaimed. It sits with a 100% aggregate score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film also received praises from audiences who celebrated its continuity and development of new characters.
Ne Zha 2 Broke Box Office Records in China
Ne Zha 2 was released on the first day of the Chinese New Year. Within the first three days of release, it had grossed over $137 million, making it the first movie to achieve it in 2025. However, by the ninth day, it had exceeded the Box Office earnings of its predecessor, Ne Zha, which had worldwide Box Office earnings of $742.7 million. With that, Ne Zha 2 became the highest-grossing animated film in mainland China.
Interestingly, the 2019 Ne Zha held the record for the highest-grossing animated movie for six years. To better appreciate the Box Office record that Ne Zha 2 broke and set in China, the second highest-grossing animated film behind Ne Zha was the 2024 Boonie Bears: Time Twist. The movie had grossed only $275,818,090 to sit in second place. Ne Zha 2’s $2.078 billion Box Office earnings not only became China’s highest-grossing animated film, it surpassed Ne Zha by an impressive $1.79 billion.
Ne Zha 2 is the Highest-grossing Animated Film Worldwide
With its $2.078 billion Box Office earnings, Ne Zha 2 beat Inside Out 2 (2024) to become the highest-grossing animated film. It displaces Inside Out 2, which had only been in the top position for less than a year. The American animated film also broke a Box Office record after surpassing the 2019 The Lion King. More impressive about its new record is that it took Ne Zha 2 less than three weeks to achieve this feat. Ne Zha 2 premiered in the United States on February 12, 2025, at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. With the theater’s tickets sold out immediately, Ne Zha 2 reported earnings of $7.2 million in its opening weekend alone.
While it took less than three weeks, it quickly but proudly rode itself to the top. First, it became the first non-English language film to cross the $1 billion mark, then pushed its win beyond the $2 billion mark. Besides now being the highest-grossing non-English language film, it is the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time. It sits with the greats, including James Cameron-released Avatar films, Avengers: Endgame, and Titanic. Although only at the end of the first quarter of 2025, Ne Zha 2 is currently the highest-grossing film of 2025.
So far, judging by the performances at the Box Office, Ne Zha 2 is miles ahead in sustaining its position as the year’s Box Office king. While there’s no denying 2025 has an epic list of sequels, the only Hollywood movie that can compete with Ne Zha 2 may be Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash. Even as 2025’s current highest-grossing film, Ne Zha 2 earnings are still below the earnings of both Avatar films. Audiences can only keep their fingers crossed to see who emerges as the king of the Box Office in 2025.
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