SINGAPORE: Chinese fantasy folklore animation Ne Zha 2 has become the world’s highest-grossing film in a single market, eclipsing major Hollywood hits, as it keeps up a blockbuster run in China’s box office.
The homegrown film had already become China’s highest-grossing film last week – less than two weeks since its release.
As of Sunday (Feb 9), it had grossed over US$1 billion, becoming the first non-Hollywood movie to do so.
Millions of moviegoers flocked to cinemas across the country over the 2025 Chinese New Year holiday period to catch Sichuan animation director Yang Yu’s highly-anticipated sequel to his 2019 film.
It tells the story of the iconic and mischievous 16th-century Chinese mythology character, reimagined as a modern punk antihero.
Total revenue, including pre-sale figures, had hit 8 billion yuan (US$1.11 billion) on Feb 9, according to data released by Chinese ticketing platforms Maoyan and Beacon.
The movie grossed more than 6.8 billion yuan within the first 10 days of its Jan 29 release and has drawn more than 160 million moviegoers to date, officials said.
Maoyan spokesperson Lai Li said this makes it China’s highest-grossing film and also the world’s highest-grossing film in a single market, surpassing Hollywood titles like Avengers: Endgame and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
“The success of Ne Zha 2 has set the tone for (Chinese cinema) for the year,” Lai told Chinese state media outlets. “It highlights the incredible resilience and growth potential of China’s film market, and we’re excited to see how the rest of 2025 unfolds.”
