Chinese mega-hit Ne Zha 2 is enjoying a record-breaking streak at the box office, and nothing can stand in its way. After overtaking Disney’s Inside Out 2 to become the highest-grossing animated film of all time, the highly-anticipated sequel is now the first animated feature to gross over US$2 billion at the global box office.
The milestone comes just over a month following its debut in China, making it the seventh movie — and the first non-Hollywood production — to pass the mark. It currently trails behind Avengers: Infinity War (US$2.04 million), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (US$2.07 billion), Titanic (US$2.2 billion), Avatar: The Way of Water (US$2.3 billion), Avengers: Endgame (US$2.7 billion), and Avatar (US$2.9 billion) on the all-time chart, and is on track to surpass the former two films in the next day or two.
While the box-office hit has caught the Western world by surprise, its phenomenal success isn’t all that surprising, as its predecessor earned over US$742 million to become the second worldwide highest-grossing non-English-language film of all time in 2019. Ne Zha 2 was also reportedly produced on a US$80 million budget, marking an impressive feat for the Chinese industry.
Helmed by returning director Jiaozi, the sophomore outing continues the tale of the titular boy god from Chinese mythology and the 16th-century novel Investiture of the Gods, as Nezha and his ally Ao Bing struggle to rebuild their physical forms and secure their fate with the help of the immortal Taiyi Zhenren.
Here’s the synopsis of the original film, for those who need the refresher:
“The Primus extracts a Mixed Yuan Bead into a spirit bead and a demon bead. The spirit bead can be reincarnated in a human to help King Zhou establish a new dynasty, while the demon bead will create a devil and harm humans. Ne Zha is the one who should be the spirit bead hero but becomes a devil incarnate, because the spirit bead and the demon bead were switched.”
Ne Zha 2 opens in Singapore on 6 March.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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