The tale of a rebellious young deity who battles dragons is the first movie to earn over US$1 billion (RM4.4 billion) in a single market, overtaking Star Wars: The Force Awakens which made US$936 million in the United States in 2015.
A sequel five years in the making, Ne Zha 2 – which draws on the 16th-century novel Investiture of the God – has tapped into both growing demand for products that draw from traditional Chinese stories, and national pride in China’s technological progress.
“We resonate with the characters and background.”
“Foreign movies may have dazzling visuals, but Chinese cinema has also mastered those techniques now,“ Gao said.
Confidence booster
Ne Zha 2 surpassed all former domestic box office record holders – including the 2019 sci-fi hit The Wandering Earth and 2021’s patriotic war film The Battle at Lake Changjin – in just nine days.
According to local media reports, director Jiao Zi, whose real name is Yang Yu, said he originally tried to work with international partners on the film but found the outcomes not up to standard and instead used an all-Chinese team.
commented on these rumours.
“I think there will be more in the future. I believe this is just the beginning.”
The film’s success proves that “Chinese animation has grown into a powerhouse and can rival Disney and Japanese animations in the Chinese domestic market”, Ying Zhu, author of Hollywood in China.
Audiences have chimed with the film’s story of “rebellion and nonconformity”, similar to how they embraced the plot of hit video game Black Myth: Wukong last year, CEO of data company BigOne Lab Robert Wu wrote in his newsletter.
But while the game became an international best-seller, there is less certainty around how Ne Zha 2, based on a legend little known outside of China, will be received elsewhere, given the limited reception of the original.
“I don’t think (foreign audiences) will understand it as deeply as we do,“ said moviegoer Qu. “But I hope this movie will help them to understand Chinese culture.” – AFP
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