Why a Chinese Folktale Made More Money Than Any Star Wars Sequel

"Like its mischievous demigod protagonist, the Chinese animated fantasy film Ne Zha II has been a practically unstoppable force. Since its initial release in China, over Lunar New Year, the blockbuster has earned more than $2 billion worldwide. It's now the highest-grossing film of 2025, the highest-grossing animated film of all time, and the highest-grossing non-English-language film in history. The film has also been a magnet for conspiratorial chatter, with viewers and critics alike theorizing about the reasons for its box-office success."

"The film's feverish run has been referred to by some English-language outlets as evidence of "national pride" in China; when it trounced Captain America: Brave New World in February, Reuters cited Ne Zha II's victory as proof of China's "hostility toward rival Hollywood offerings." Yet as Slate's Jenny Zhang noted, Chinese audiences-who are responsible for most of the film's ticket sales so far-haven't been uniformly supportive of the movie, leaving "verdicts ranging from negative to lukewarm to positive.""

"When an English-language version of Ne Zha II was announced for an August debut in the United States, via a rare partnership between the Chinese company CMC Pictures and the indie distributor A24, The Hollywood Reporter predicted that the the film's theatrical release would be a "litmus test of the U.S. market's appetite for Chinese storytelling." As it turns out, the results of that test were less than spectacular."

Ne Zha II earned more than $2 billion worldwide and became the highest-grossing film of 2025, the highest-grossing animated film ever, and the highest-grossing non-English-language film in history. The film prompted widespread speculation about the reasons for its box-office dominance. Explanations advanced included national pride, perceived hostility toward Hollywood, anti-American imagery, and criticism of the Chinese Communist Party. Chinese audience reactions ranged from negative to positive. A U.S. English-language debut was arranged through a rare partnership between CMC Pictures and A24 and was framed as a test of U.S. appetite for Chinese storytelling. The film's U.S. re-release made $1.5 million. An English-subtitled version had been released in the United States less than six months earlier.

Read at The Atlantic