Cover ‘Ne Zha 2’ shattered box office records in 2025, becoming the first non-English film to claim the year’s top spot globally (Image: IMDB)
‘Ne Zha 2’ shattered box office records in 2025, becoming the first non-English film to claim the year’s top spot globally (Image: IMDB)
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The Chinese animated sequel ‘Ne Zha 2’ dominated the global box office, outperforming Hollywood’s biggest releases and rewriting entertainment history
The cinematic landscape shifted in 2025. For the first time in history, a non-English language film claimed the crown as the year’s highest-grossing movie worldwide. Animated sequel Ne Zha 2 didn’t just compete with Western blockbusters—it obliterated them. With a staggering US$2.2 billion global gross, the Chinese fantasy epic proved that Asian stories no longer play by Hollywood’s rules, marking cinema’s new world order.
2025’s top 10 highest-grossing films worldwide
- Ne Zha 2 – US$2.20 billion
- Zootopia 2 – US$1.59 billion
- Avatar: Fire and Ash – US$1.08 billion
- Lilo & Stitch – US$1.03 billion
- A Minecraft Movie – US$958 million
- Jurassic World Rebirth – US$869 million
- Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle – US$791 million
- How to Train Your Dragon – US$636 million
- F1 – US$631 million
- Superman – US$616 million
Animation dominated the year, claiming the top two positions, whilst Asian productions—Ne Zha 2 and Demon Slayer—proved that Eastern storytelling now commands global audiences. Here’s what made Ne Zha 2’s historic victory possible.
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‘Ne Zha 2’ outmuscles ‘Star Wars’ to claim box office supremacy
Above ‘Ne Zha 2’ shattered records previously held by Hollywood franchises
In the sequel, Ne Zha and Dragon Prince Ao Bing take on Master Wuliang, a corrupt celestial bureaucrat who framed the Dragon Race for the destruction of Chentang Pass to justify their enslavement. That conflict proved irresistible to audiences. Ne Zha 2 went on to earn approximately US$2.2 billion worldwide, with an extraordinary US$2.1 billion coming from mainland China alone.
In doing so, it obliterated the long-standing North American single-territory revenue record held by Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), which earned US$936 million in the US and Canada. Ne Zha 2 cleared that figure in China within just 11 days of its Lunar New Year release, demonstrating that the Chinese box office can eclipse Hollywood’s domestic benchmarks on its own terms, without seeking Western validation.
The mythological body-sharing twist drives the storytelling of ‘Ne Zha 2’
Above Ne Zha and Ao Bing share a reconstituted body in the sequel’s central narrative hook (Photo: IMDB)
Ne Zha and Ao Bing share a reconstituted body in the sequel’s central narrative hook (Photo: IMDB)
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After enduring the Heavenly Tribulation, Ne Zha and Dragon Prince Ao Bing lose their physical forms and survive only as spirits. To live, they’re forced to share a single reconstituted body for seven days. This odd couple dynamic—Ne Zha’s chaotic fire constantly battling Ao Bing’s regal ice for control—creates physical comedy that resonated deeply with audiences, functioning like a supernatural buddy-cop duo while maintaining distinctly Eastern storytelling sensibilities.
A soul mirror artefact connects the film to 2,000-year-old Chinese history
Above The Seven-Colored Precious Lotus serves as both magical artefact and emotional barometer in ‘Ne Zha 2’ (Photo: IMDB)
The Seven-Colored Precious Lotus serves as both magical artefact and emotional barometer in ‘Ne Zha 2’ (Photo: IMDB)
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The Seven-Colored Precious Lotus, used by Taiyi Zhenren to rebuild the heroes’ bodies, draws visual inspiration from the Boshan censer, a 2,000-year-old artefact from the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC–AD 24). The lotus functions as a soul mirror, changing colours to reflect Ne Zha’s emotional state from destruction to rebirth. This cultural depth grounds the fantasy in authentic Chinese artistic heritage rather than imitating Western design languages.
The visuals of ‘Ne Zha 2’ challenge Pixar’s animation dominance
Above The film’s ink-wash influenced aesthetic creates a distinctly Eastern visual language (Photo: IMDB)
The film’s ink-wash influenced aesthetic creates a distinctly Eastern visual language (Photo: IMDB)
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Critics and audiences praise the stylised aesthetic and particle effects of Ne Zha 2, which they say make standard Western CGI look simple by comparison. The film applies traditional ink-wash influences to high-octane 3D particle physics, creating a visual language that’s distinctly Eastern rather than a Hollywood imitation. Produced by Chengdu Coco Cartoon, the animation represents a decade-long maturation of Chinese donghua, confidently presenting mythology without diluting cultural markers for foreign audiences.
The viral Three Heads, Six Arms transformation dominated social media
Above Ne Zha’s climactic battle form became 2025’s must-see cinematic moment (Photo: IMDB)
Ne Zha’s climactic battle form became 2025’s must-see cinematic moment (Photo: IMDB)
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The climactic reveal of Ne Zha’s “Three Heads, Six Arms” form—often visualised with four primary combat arms for fluid choreography—became a viral sensation. This specific transformation sequence dominated TikTok, Douyin and Weibo immediately upon release. The battle choreography is equal parts high-fantasy magic and martial arts, creating sequences that demanded big-screen viewing whilst showcasing animation that rivals Hollywood’s best visual effects studios.
The Fengshen Cinematic Universe prepares for expansion
The post-credits scene depicts villain Wuliang visiting a secret prison to recruit Shen Gongbao—the antagonist from the first film—alongside his father. This serialised storytelling builds the Fengshen Cinematic Universe, a growing slate of Chinese animated and live-action films adapting Fengshen Yanyi mythology. The tease promises an Avengers-style escalation for Ne Zha 3, strengthening the rising global presence of Chinese animation.
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After more than a decade in lifestyle media, Clifford has mastered the art of writing seriously about things that are fun—and writing fun things about people who take themselves very seriously. At Tatler Asia, he helped steer its flagship lists, Tatler’s Most Influential and Asia’s Most Stylish. And today, he leads T-Labs, Tatler Asia’s content innovation hub, where he continues the noble pursuit of lifestyle storytelling, spinning stories on wealth, entertainment, necessary style, Hallyu, Hollywood, beauty and more for audiences across Asia.
