Since its release in mainland China on January 29, 2025, "Ne Zha: The Devil's Rebirth" has already surpassed a global box office of $1.698 billion (about HK$132.44 billion), successfully overtaking "Inside Out 2" to become the highest-grossing animated film worldwide. According to data from Lighthouse Professional Edition, the film's box office continues to rise, with final projections estimating it will exceed 15 billion RMB (about HK$16.2 billion), establishing it as the new king of global animated movies.
Directed by Jiaozi, "Ne Zha: The Devil's Child" (hereafter referred to as "Ne Zha 2") continues the world view established in its predecessor. The story follows Ne Zha and Ao Bing who, after undergoing a heavenly tribulation, find their souls lingering yet on the verge of fading away. Taichi Zhenren attempts to use the Seven-Colored Lotus to recreate their bodies, but faces multiple challenges along the way. Compared to the 2019 release of "Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child," this installment has seen a significant upgrade in production quality. Data indicates that the first film featured 1,864 shots, with 1,400 of those being special effects shots, while "Ne Zha 2" boasts a total of 2,437 shots, including an impressive 1,948 special effects shots, clearly enhancing the visual experience.
"Nezha 2" has demonstrated outstanding performance in the Chinese market, while also achieving success globally. Many overseas fans praise its technical quality, claiming it reaches international standards and can even match the works of animation giants in the U.S. and Japan. However, some are questioning whether these box office figures have been manipulated, suggesting that the film's revenue primarily relies on internal support from the Chinese market to reach such heights. On social media, a fierce debate has erupted, with voices both in support and opposition, yet the box office performance remains an undeniable fact.
The impressive box office performance of "Ne Zha 2" has garnered widespread attention from international media. Some foreign outlets are surprised by the film's success, noting that breaking through in the fiercely competitive animated film market against American giants like Disney and Pixar is no small feat. Industry insiders generally believe that the next animated film likely to challenge for the box office crown will be "Super Mario Bros. Movie 2," set to be released in April 2026.
