Cinema success: Animation film “Ne ZHA 2” breaks records in China

An animated film about a demonic boy with superpowers moves more people into the cinema in China. As the state news agency Xinhua reports, more than 160 million people have been watching “ne ZHA 2” since the premiere on January 29. The film from director Yang Yu replaced the previous record holder in China, the “Wolf Warrior 2” action strip published in 2017. The revenue is also a record-breaking: the first non-western film has already taken the animated film the equivalent of over one billion US dollars until last Sunday.

The first part was already a crowd puller

According to predictions of a Chinese ticket platform, “ne ZHA 2” is now even on the way to becoming the world’s most sales film of all time. Even though the strip was previously mostly seen in China.

The first part of the film series, which was released in 2019, was a great success in China thanks to the deeply rooted cultural elements. The story is based on Chinese mythology. The boy ne ZHA is born with demonic powers. His parents love him and want to protect him, but society rejects him and fears him. Nevertheless, ne ZHA is not naturally evil. He fights with his inner conflict and tries to prove himself as a hero.

Full cinemas around the New Year

One of the most important factors for the success of blockbusters in China is the Chinese New Year, which takes place every year between January and February. During this time, the cinemas in China are particularly well attended, which makes the publication of large films a lucrative business model for studios. Since many people are at home during the holidays and are looking for entertainment, the number of cinema seekers increases significantly.