“Ne Zha 2,” has hit the $2 billion mark in China becoming the highest grossing animated film of all-time, far surpassing previous record holder “Inside Out 2” ($1.7 billion).
The film is on pace to enter the top 5 highest-grossing movies of all time. As of this writing, it's made more money than "Avengers: Infinity War.” How did this happen? There are many theories out there, and its well-timed release during the Chinese new year, on February 14, is one.
Yet, “Ne Zha 2” has only earned $19M — a tiny fraction of the China total — in North America. Of course, for a foreign language film, that’s a strong gross. On Rotten Tomatoes, only seven critics have reviewed the film. It’s also only now secured an upcoming release in Europe.
The film, which has been described as a “144 minute barrage of mythological mayhem” is said to have a “cavalcade of supporting characters,” “infantile humor” and “state of the art eye-popping animation.”
In essence, Ne Zha 2’s popularity can be attributed to its connection to Chinese culture, and momentum of its predecessor, which also made boatloads of money in China. The original’s loyal fanbase carried over to the sequel, but this time, much like, say, Barbenheimer, “Ne Zha 2” has turned into a you-gotta-see-it phenomenon with Chinese audiences.
The film, which roughly translates to “The Devil’s Child,” was inspired by the Chinese mythological figure of Ne Zha. The character resonates deeply with Chinese culture and mythology, and it presents a modern, action-packed take on traditional folklore. That’s probably part of the reason why it won’t hit hard with U.S. audiences, there’s a big enough cultural gap between both nations.
Have any of our readers seen “Ne Zha 2”? Is it worth a look? I’d be curious to read your thoughts on this landmark Chinese film.