"Ne Zha 2" became the first non-Hollywood film to make a billion dollars

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The Chinese animated hit "Ne Zha 2" made history when it became the first non-Hollywood film to gross over $1 billion in a single market, earning more than 160 million viewers and breaking the records of "Wolf Warrior 2" and "The Battle at Lake Changjin".

Director Jiaozi released the film in cinemas 29 January during the celebration Chinese New Year. Sales including pre-sales reached 8 billion yuan ($1.12 billion). The film became the highest-grossing film in China and surpassed even "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" as the most successful film in one market.

Continued from "No Zha" from 2019 impressed with its visuals and strong story and dominated half of all sales during Spring Festival 2025that generated 9.5 billion yuan.

Strengthening the Chinese film industry

Success comes after a tough year 2024when sales fell by 23 % versus 2023. "No Zha 2" however, proves the strength of domestic production. Maoyan predicts that the film may surpass 12 billion yuanwhich would be a historic milestone for Chinese cinema.

Director Jiaozi believe that International success of Chinese film lies in the power of the story, not in mimicking Hollywood. Film experts praise his combining traditional Chinese mythology with modern narrativethat appeals to a wide audience.

"No Zha 2" thus confirms that China can compete with Hollywood not only in terms of sales but also in terms of the quality of storytelling.

CMG