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Ne Zha 2 is a groundbreaking 2025 Chinese animated fantasy film that has shattered multiple box office records worldwide. Released during the Chinese New Year, it has become the highest-grossing animated film in Chinese history and the first non-Hollywood film to cross the $1 billion mark in a single territory
Ne Zha 2 Key Details
- Release Date: January 29, 2025 (Chinese New Year)
- Runtime: 2 hours 23 minutes
- Director: Jiaozi (Yu Yang)
- Budget: CN¥600 million (US$82.7 million)
- Box Office: US$1.64 billion (as of February 2025)
Ne Zha 2 Plot
The story follows Ne Zha and Ao Bing after their physical bodies are destroyed. To prevent their souls from dissipating, Master Taiyi uses the Sacred Lotus to create new bodies. However, Ao Bing’s body perishes, leading to an unusual arrangement where both characters must share Ne Zha’s body for seven days. Their mission is to complete three trials set by Master Wuliang to win a potion that can restore the Sacred Lotus and create a new body for Ao Bing
Ne Zha 2 Cast
- Joseph as Ne Zha
- Mo Han as Ao Bing
- Jiaming Zhang as Master Taiyi
- Deshun Wang as Master Wuliang
Production Scale
- Over 4,000 people across 138 animation companies participated
- More than double the crew size of the first film
- Features over 2,400 shots, including more than 1,900 special effects shots
- Took five years to produce
Box Office Achievements
- First film to reach $1 billion in box office during Chinese New Year
- Broke the single territory box office record of US$936.7 million
- Became the fourth-highest grossing animated film of all time
- First non-Hollywood film to cross the $1 billion mark in a single territory
Critical Reception
- Douban Movies: 8.5/10
- Maoyan: 9.7/10
- Taopiaopiao: 9.8/10
The film has been praised for its special effects, script, and concept, with critics noting its “solid script and accurate expression of values” . The animation style, while not quite reaching Pixar levels, has been compared favorably to DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda series, particularly in its martial arts sequences