Released on January 29, 2025, during the Chinese New Year celebrations, the animation Ne Zha 2: The Soul Reborn (original title: Ne Zha 2) reached historic milestones worldwide. With a global box office gross of over $2.2 billion, the film has already surpassed Hollywood hits and established itself as one of the most-watched productions in cinema history.
With an estimated budget of $80 million, the film grossed more than 25 times its production cost — an explosive return by animation standards.
In its first weeks of release in China, which accounted for almost all of the revenue, the movie shattered numerous domestic box office records.
It went on to surpass Inside Out 2 — which grossed $1.7 billion — to become the most profitable animated film of all time.
In addition, Ne Zha 2 currently holds the 5th overall position among the most-watched films in history, surpassing blockbusters such as Jurassic World: Rebirth, Superman, and Lilo & Stitch.
An epic continuation of the saga
The sequel resumes the storyline from the first film (2019): Ne Zha and his friend Ao Bing — whose bodies were destroyed in battle — now share the same body due to a magical curse. Their mission is to find a lotus flower capable of breaking this bond, while facing sea dragons and racing against time to protect a threatened community.
Although the concept may seem fantastical, it contains symbolic elements and themes of destiny, personal choice, and redemption — universal enough to captivate both Chinese and international audiences.
Grand production and cultural impact
The making of *Ne Zha 2* took five years and involved more than 4,000 professionals from 138 animation studios — more than double the workforce involved in the original film.
Visual innovations and technical refinements have raised the standards of Chinese animation.
Symbolically, the film’s success is seen as an affirmation of Chinese cinema against Hollywood’s dominance — demonstrating that non-English-language productions can stand out on a global scale.
In the United States, the dubbed English version, distributed by A24, premiered on August 22, 2025, with Michelle Yeoh confirmed among the voice cast.
Despite its massive global box office, its performance in the U.S. was modest compared to the domestic phenomenon.
Photos: Publicity. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
