Animated Blockbuster Already One Of The Most Successful Films In History

By Jonathan Klotz
| Published 30 seconds ago

These days, thanks to increased ticket prices, it seems like every year a different film is setting records, whether it’s Oppenheimer and Barbie or The Super Mario Bros. Movie, records have been falling left and right, but even then, no one could have predicted the explosive debut of Ne Zha 2. If you haven’t heard of the animated blockbuster that’s on its way to becoming one of the highest-grossing films in history, it’s China’s most successful film ever, and it’s finally being rolled out internationally. Along the way, it’s already overtaken Star Wars: The Force Awakens as the most successful film in a single country; it’s also the most successful animated film in history, but soon it will be one of the top five highest-grossing movies worldwide. 

Bringing The Classic Chinese Story To The Big Screen

Ne Zha 2 is based on a classic Chinese story, The Investiture of the Gods, though it’s less a direct adaptation and more of a reimagining, turning the Chinese deity into a more rebellious character who still embodies the country’s traditional values. In the sequel, Ne Zha and his rival-turned-ally Ao Bing are forced to share the same body following the catastrophic ending of the first film. Together, they work to pass celestial trials to restore their bodies, defend a village, defeat an invading army, and go to war against dragons. 

There’s a lot going on in Ne Zha 2, and like the first film, even though it’s animated, there’s something for everyone. This time, though, the relationship between Ne Zha and his parents is tossed onto the back burner while the action is cranked up, befitting the higher rating, PG-13 this time, and the overall darker story. The sequel is bigger, bolder, better animated, and cranks everything good about the first movie up to 11 while still telling its own satisfying tale. 

Joining An Exclusive Club

The real story of Ne Zha 2 has nothing to do with the plot, characters, or the Kung-Fu Panda level of animation, but rather how it conquered mainland China to become the first film to reach $1 billion in a single country, blowing right past Star Wars: The Force Awakens record of $920 million in the United States. It’s also taken out Inside Out 2’s crown as the top-grossing animated movie in history, and with over $1.6 billion in total, it’s looking like a final haul of over $2 billion is all but guaranteed. Only six other films have crossed that mark, including both Avatar movies, Titanic, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, making it rarified air, but we’re a month away from history being made.

Hollywood may be struggling with fewer breakout hits each year and the decline of superhero movies dragging down the entire box office, but other regions are stepping up. While Ne Zha 2 is a massive success for the Chinese market, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, the fourth film in the rom-com series starring Renee Zellweger, is setting records in its home market of the United Kingdom, and it wasn’t long ago that RRR exploded out of India to become a cult classic. It’s a big world with plenty of movie markets out there, and just when you think you’ve seen every record possible get broken, along comes a surprise film that’s re-writing all the rules.