China's 'ne zha2' will crush box office revenue for $1.2 billion

The new king of the Chinese box office is an adorable ugly demon kid who fights monsters.

Less than two weeks after its release, Ne Zha 2, an animated film based on Chinese mythology and famous 16th century novels, has become China's best growing film, with over $1 billion in ticket sales. I was done. Nor is it the first film Hollywood Studios to surpass that mark.

The blockbuster brought unusual good news to the Chinese film industry, struggling with anemia ticket sales and a slump economy. Some films that break through the mal laziness are no longer Hollywood titles, but are fascinating features at home, rooted in patriotic messaging and traditional Chinese culture and folklore.

“Ne Zha 2” is the sequel to China's best-selling animated film. In the 2019 original, Neza was born as a reincarnation of a demon with supernatural powers, but only lived for three years. He fights his destiny and saves his village.

In the sequel, Neza revisits a similar theme. He challenges the political order and authority that governs God and the Devil, fighting against the Dragon King of the Four Seas and other creatures.

“'ne Zha 2' is a rare film that hits all the marks,” said independent Chinese film critic Raymond Zhou. “It targets all demographics and it successfully captures all of them.”

According to Chinese entertainment data provider Maoyan, the film has raised ticket sales of $1.2 billion since it was released on January 29th at the start of China's New Year's Holiday. Its haul is already more than twice the best-selling movie of 2024. The film distributed by CMCPictures will be released in North America on Friday.

Chinese state media and Communist Party officials celebrated the film's success and portrayed it as an acknowledgement of China's cultural influence.

“Chinese culture is constantly moving forward in inheritance and innovation, demonstrating its unique appeal,” wrote the Global Times, a Communist tabloid.

China, a state-run newspaper, said in an essay that “Ne Zha 2” represents the country's “increasing cultural confidence.” It called the evidence that the Chinese entertainment industry tells its own story rather than relying on western studios to make films based on Chinese folk tales.

“'ne zha 2' regains the mantle of storytelling and proves that it cannot speak Chinese myths better than China itself,” the essay states.

Traditional Chinese culture has also influenced other forms of entertainment breakthroughs. In video games, Black Myth: Wukong was based on a classic 16th century Chinese novel called “Journey to the West,” but it quickly became a hit when it was released last year.

Until “Ne Zha 2,” China's top Chinese films used the country's serious nationalism enthusiasm. Previous No. 1, “The Battle at The Battle,” is a 2021 film about a group of Chinese volunteers who defeated American soldiers during the Korean War. Nearby was Wolf Warrior 2, a 2017 action film in which former Chinese special forces soldiers take on the role of the American villain.

However, overall it was a tough stretch for Chinese films. Box office revenue fell 23% last year, according to the Chinese Film Administration, a government regulator.

The industry is being supported by China's broader efforts to stimulate consumer spending and reinvigorate the slowdown in the economy. The government added an extra day on more than a week of New Year's holidays, giving movie fans more time to go to the theater. Additionally, movie tickets included discounts, subsidies and other incentives.

However, film critic Zhou said the incentives did not explain the success of “Ne Zha 2.” He praised the franchise's popularity for its classic story and character spins, resonating with younger audiences.

As the world's second largest film market, Chinese audiences, after the US, were once a reliable source of ticket sales for Hollywood blockbusters.

That's not the case anymore. Last year, “Godzilla x Kong: New Empire” was the only US film in the top 10 box office grossing in China, ranking 9th. In 2023, American films never fell below the top ten.

Hu Xijin, former editor of Global Times, said China's decision to open in Hollywood films in the 1990s would help advance the country's film industry, but China can stand on its own. Masu.

“This is the best Chinese animation I've ever seen,” Hu wrote on Weibo, a social media platform. “The days when Chinese people were surprised when they looked up at Hollywood comics like “Kung Fu Panda” are over. ”

You contributed to your research.