Chinese film 'Ne Zha 2' becomes IMAX's highest-grossing animated film
What's the story
The Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2 is continuing its phenomenal run at the box office, grossing $152.9 million over the February 21-23 weekend, according to Artisan Gateway. Since its release on January 29, the Enlight Pictures/Cococartoon production has grossed an astounding $1.89 billion in China alone. The success has made Ne Zha 2 the most profitable film in Chinese box office history.
IMAX success
More about 'Ne Zha 2's new IMAX record
Ne Zha 2 has also been rewriting IMAX records, adding $15.2 million to its IMAX earnings over the same weekend. This took its total global IMAX revenue to $131 million in just 26 days, making it the ninth highest-grossing IMAX release of all time. Notably, Ne Zha 2 has become the highest-grossing animated film in IMAX history, surpassing The Polar Express by a whopping 69%.
Box office competition
'Ne Zha 2' dominates China's box office, overshadowing other releases
Despite the continued success of As One Production's Detective Chinatown 1900 and Fantawild Animation's Boonie Bears 11, Ne Zha 2 has left little room for competition. The former added $11.7 million to its earnings, bringing its total to $464.7 million while the latter ranked third with an additional $3.3 million for a total of $106.1 million. Japanese anime Your Color debuted in fourth place with $1.8 million and Beijing Culture's Creation of the Gods 2 rounded out the top five with an additional $1.6 million, reaching a cumulative total of $164.3 million.
Market expansion
China's box office sees significant growth in 2025
The weekend's total box office of $178.1 million propelled China's 2025 box office to a remarkable $3.06 billion. That's a whopping 74.4% increase from the same period last year. With Ne Zha 2 continuing to outperform expectations, China's box office is on track for one of its strongest first quarters in years, fueled by local hits and an expanding IMAX footprint.