Like its mischievous demigod protagonist, the Chinese language animated fantasy movie Ne Zha II has been a virtually unstoppable pressure. Since its preliminary launch in China, over Lunar New 12 months, the blockbuster has earned greater than $2 billion worldwide. It’s now the highest-grossing movie of 2025, the highest-grossing animated movie of all time, and the highest-grossing non-English-language movie in historical past.
The movie has additionally been a magnet for conspiratorial chatter, with viewers and critics alike theorizing concerning the causes for its box-office success. The movie’s feverish run has been referred to by some English-language shops as proof of “nationwide pleasure” in China; when it trounced Captain America: Courageous New World in February, Reuters cited Ne Zha II’s victory as proof of China’s “hostility towards rival Hollywood choices.” But as Slate’s Jenny Zhang famous, Chinese language audiences—who’re accountable for a lot of the movie’s ticket gross sales to this point—haven’t been uniformly supportive of the film, leaving “verdicts starting from detrimental to lukewarm to optimistic.” Some viewers, she noticed, consider that the movie’s imagery certainly accommodates hints of anti-American sentiment; others interpret its hero’s quest for individuality as refined however sharp criticism of the Chinese language Communist Social gathering. When an English-language model of Ne Zha II was introduced for an August debut in the US, through a uncommon partnership between the Chinese language firm CMC Photos and the indie distributor A24, The Hollywood Reporter predicted that the the movie’s theatrical launch can be a “litmus take a look at of the U.S. market’s urge for food for Chinese language storytelling.”
Because it seems, the outcomes of that take a look at had been lower than spectacular. Ne Zha II’s re-release, with a voice solid led by Michelle Yeoh, flopped on the U.S. field workplace final weekend, making simply $1.5 million. However as Deadline identified, an English-subtitled model of the movie had simply been launched stateside lower than six months in the past, not lengthy after the Chinese language debut. That launch earned greater than $20 million, which implies that a not-insignificant variety of Individuals had been keen to point out up for the movie in its authentic Chinese language-language type.
Even when a wider U.S. viewers seems to be unfamiliar with—or tired of—the franchise, Ne Zha II’s bona fides are inarguable. The movie is an epic sequel to a massively well-liked film: The primary Ne Zha, launched in 2019, is at present the second-highest-grossing non-U.S. animated movie in historical past. The follow-up doubles down on its predecessor’s maximalism, producing a chaotic, overstuffed action-adventure comedy with eye-popping visuals that demand to be seen in a theater. As such, Ne Zha II leaves no thriller about why it has grow to be the 12 months’s greatest global-box-office triumph, no matter whether or not U.S. theatergoers turned out for the English dub. The movie’s victory has been massive as a result of the movie itself is massive—cumbersome in tone and spectacle. Ne Zha II could also be loosely primarily based on a Sixteenth-century novel drawn from Chinese language mythology, nevertheless it’s an amalgamation of recognizable kinds and storytelling methods designed to enchantment to as many viewers as doable.
Take into account Ne Zha himself. He’s a well-liked character from Chinese language folklore to adapt on-screen, a continuing presence in films and reveals produced within the nation over the previous century. His ubiquity is partially resulting from his visible enchantment—he can conjure wheels of fireplace below his ft to zip round within the air, which is undeniably cool—and since his tales are particularly malleable in tone. Though he’s often portrayed as a insurgent studying to self-discipline himself and obey filial values, essentially the most well-known animated variations of him previous to the 2019 movie depict him very in a different way: In 1979’s Nezha Conquers the Dragon King, he’s the tragic embodiment of self-sacrifice. Within the 2003 TV sequence The Legend of Ne Zha, he’s a cheekier, extra family-friendly protagonist.
Ne Zha II understands the character’s versatility and makes use of his story to discover a common theme: coming-of-age rising pains. Certain, he recites Chinese language poetry when saying himself to enemies and navigates a world awash in Buddhist and Taoist symbolism, however he principally simply wreaks youthful havoc. The Ne Zha films alter a number of the character’s traditional traits. Regardless of how a lot he enjoys inflicting chaos, Ne Zha yearns to slot in—a battle exemplified by his central relationship with Ao Bing, a dutiful and compassionate dragon prince. The 2 appear to be polar opposites in persona and worldview, however grow to be finest pals whose dynamic may be as foolish as it’s affecting. In Ne Zha II, the duo should share the identical physique, resulting in crude gags (Ne Zha can enable Ao Bing to take over his physique solely after ingesting sleeping capsules, which he typically vomits up), in addition to heartfelt discussions concerning the burden of constructing their communities proud. Take away the magical, beyond-farcical setup, and what’s left is a timeless story.
The animation, too, captures this sense of familiarity. Chinese language-produced animated leisure, referred to as donghua, has lengthy struggled to ascertain an id. The 1979 Ne Zha movie, as an example, was launched shortly after the top of the Cultural Revolution, throughout which the style had been restricted by inflexible pointers meant to ascertain a nationwide fashion. The ensuing film relied on conventional illustration practices within the type of ink-wash artwork, layered brushwork, and wealthy colours. Over time, donghua turned formed—if not overshadowed—by the look of anime and Hollywood animation; the Ne Zha within the 2003 sequence resembles a Disney character, outlined by thick outlines and fluid motion.
However Ne Zha and its sequel giddily mix Chinese language aesthetics with different influences: Painterly backgrounds are blended with computer-generated, Pixar-like character designs. The emphasis on bathroom humor calls to thoughts bawdy DreamWorks films comparable to Shrek. One villain explicitly references Snow White. The extravagant method mirrors the hero’s untamed power, all to yield a genuinely spectacular movie. Ne Zha II is vibrant and colourful in each body, whether or not rendering fantastical areas (floating cities, an underwater empire), legendary creatures (jade birds, clever marmots), or battle sequences. The third act, which captures primarily one lengthy showdown amongst deities of all types, is awash with kinetic motion. Intricately designed dragons weave out and in of fight, whereas armies of evil henchmen prepare themselves in beautiful patterns. At one level, they arrive to seem like a large tree festooned with golden blossoms.
There may be, in different phrases, virtually an excessive amount of to have a look at in Ne Zha II—however that seems to be the purpose. The movie’s director, Yu Yang (referred to as “Jiaozi”), recruited greater than 4,000 animators for the challenge and integrated the efforts of greater than 100 animation studios throughout China. In an interview, he defined that he approached the film as if it had been his final—and certainly, Ne Zha II appears like a movie to finish all animated movies. It overwhelms the senses, remixes kinds, and turns an advanced folkloric determine right into a lovable superhero. The movie’s English dub could not have been a success. However even with out that achievement, Ne Zha II already gained.
