Ne Zha 2

By Chelsea Lu April 2, 2025

Telling the story of an impulsively feisty demon child fighting monsters and immortals to revive his friend, “Ne Zha 2” has recently become the highest-grossing animated film of all time. As the sequel to the 2019 movie “Ne Zha 1,” the animation is based loosely on the 16th-century mythological novel “Investiture of the Gods,” putting a contemporary spin on this Chinese classic.

Isabella Zhu Art

“Ne Zha 2” has accumulated over $2 billion at the box office worldwide since its release on Feb. 14, surpassing fellow blockbuster “Captain America: Brave New World” and dethroning “Inside Out 2,” the previous record holder for highest-grossing animated film, as per Variety. The outlet further states that not only has it generated $1.8 billion in China, “Ne Zha 2” has also secured a spot in the U.S. top ten for three consecutive weeks, a highly unusual feat for a foreign film. According to Deadline, it is also ranked sixth in the top box office of all time, the first Chinese film to do so. Airing in Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand and other countries, the views continue to soar.

“I loved the incorporation of Chinese culture with modern topics like social bias in the movie; they turned a staple childhood story of mine into such an exciting and well-crafted animation. Everyone I know who has watched it has also enjoyed it very much,” Freshman Crystal Chen said.

Rating the film 95% on Google reviews and 8.2/10 on IMDb, online critics from Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb have similarly praised the film for its blend of action and drama without sacrificing quality and flow. Commentator Simon Abrams from RogerEbert also noted the film’s humor, character development and ability to invoke emotion as reasons why it has become so popular.

A decade ago, Hollywood blockbusters dominated the Chinese film industry, but the roaring success of “Ne Zha 2” was a well-received surprise as foreign films continue to rise on the world stage.

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About the Contributors

Chelsea Lu

staff writer

Chelsea Lu is a staff writer and this is her first year in Journalism. She loves hanging out with friends, building legos, and rotting in bed. She also loves writing stories.

Isabella Zhu

artist

Isabella is a Staff Writer/Artist, and this is her first year in Journalism. Isabella is deathly scared of running, but does cross country anyways. Her favorite things to do outside of journalism are eating, walking, and sleeping.