An animated Chinese sequel that you have likely never heard of has become one of the biggest movies of all time.
Ne Zha 2 was only released in its native China a few weeks ago, though has taken a staggering $1.37 billion at the time of writing – 10 billion in Chinese yuan.
That already makes it the third-highest-grossing animated film of all time – and what's more, it is expected to become the biggest, overtaking last year's Inside Out 2, which currently holds the record at $1.69 billion.
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The film, which is being released in markets such as North America this week, also holds the record for the first movie to gross over $1 billion in a single market following its Chinese release, and is the highest-grossing movie in China ever.
Additionally, it is the first non-Hollywood film to gross over $1 billion, as well as the highest-grossing non-English language film ever.
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On top of that, according to Chinese company Maoyan (via Deadline) Ne Zha 2 could end up grossing over 16 billion yuan ($2.19 billion), which would make it the fifth highest-grossing film of all time.
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The fantasy movie, which is based on Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi), comes from director Jiaozi (also known as Yang Yu) and acts as a sequel to 2019's Ne Zha.
It follows the titular Ne Zha and friend Ao Bing, whose physical bodies are destroyed while their souls remain, as they are helped by the immortal Taiyi Zhenren to reshape their bodies while facing challenges that could spell disaster for humanity.
Ne Zha 2 is out on limited release in the US now, while a UK release date is yet to be confirmed.
Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every 't' and dotting every 'i' as a sub-editor.
