Topline
“Ne Zha 2,” a Chinese animated film that has shattered box office records and is easily this year’s top-grossing film, will get an English-language U.S. release starring Michelle Yeoh next month, potentially breaking into the North American market after dominating Chinese theaters.
"Ne Zha 2" is this year's biggest box office hit worldwide. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
An English-language version of “Ne Zha 2” will open in theaters on Aug. 22, with Oscar-winner Yeoh joining the voice cast as Nezha’s mother.
The English-language dub will be distributed by A24 and CMC Pictures, with releases planned for the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The English version of “Ne Zha 2” will play on IMAX screens, in 3D and in other formats, according to a press release from A24.
Yeoh said in a statement “Ne Zha 2” is a “landmark in Chinese animation and a powerful reminder of how universal our stories can be,” calling it a “joy” to share the movie with English audiences.
The Chinese language version of “Ne Zha 2” already opened in U.S. theaters in January, grossing about $20 million.
“Ne Zha 2” is based on the Chinese mythological character Nezha, who in the predecessor film is reincarnated as a demon, and in the sequel challenges political authority and fights the Dragon King of Four Seas and other creatures.
$2.2 billion. That’s how much “Ne Zha 2” has grossed at the global box office, multiple outlets reported, though Box Office Mojo lists its global gross at $1.9 billion. “Ne Zha 2” is far and away the biggest movie of 2025, doubling the gross of its closest competitor, “Lilo & Stitch,” which has grossed $975 million worldwide.
“Ne Zha 2” is the highest-grossing animated movie of all time, surpassing “Inside Out 2,” which previously claimed the record last year after grossing $1.7 billion worldwide. The film’s reported gross of $2.2 billion would make it the fifth-highest grossing film of all time at the global box office, only behind “Avatar” and its sequel, “The Way of Water,” “Avengers: Endgame” and “Titanic.” “Ne Zha 2” is also the highest-grossing movie not in the English language, and it is the highest-grossing movie in China’s history.
“Ne Zha 2” became a cultural phenomenon in China, with an estimated 300 million tickets sold within two months of its release, equal to about a fifth of the country’s population. The film is a sequel to a successful animated movie, “Ne Zha,” which grossed more than $740 million in 2019. “Ne Zha 2” opened in Chinese theaters during the Lunar New Year period, when workers had time off and could make trips to the theater. Deadline reported supporting the film became a source of national pride in China, and the government helped boost its performance by subsidizing about $80 million in tickets. The film’s traditional Chinese roots and its appeal to all generations helped connect with audiences, Chinese film critic Raymond Zhou told the New York Times. “Ne Zha 2” is also a huge success for domestically produced films in China as the country’s interest in American films has waned substantially over the past several years.
When “Ne Zha 2” opens in late August, it could close out what has been a successful summer for American theaters. The domestic box office has seen multiple back-to-back hits in recent weeks, including “Jurassic World Rebirth,” which opened last weekend to $92 million. Other films that have rejuvenated the box office this summer include “F1,” which opened to $57 million at the end of June, and “Lilo & Stitch,” which led the domestic box office for four straight weekends between May and June. The domestic box office grossed about $4.1 billion in total from Jan. 1 to June 29, according to data shared with Forbes by Comscore, about a 16% increase from the same dates in 2024.