Chinese Animation ‘Ne Zha 2’ Surpasses ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ To Become Fifth Highest-Grossing Movie Ever

March 17, 2025: The Chinese animated phenomenon Ne Zha 2 has made history by surpassing the worldwide earnings of Star Wars: The Force Awakens to become the fifth highest-grossing movie of all time. According to Deadline, the film’s total gross in China through Sunday was slightly over RMB 14.86 billion. When adding more than $31 million from international markets, the movie’s global total exceeds $2.085 billion.

This major achievement pushes Ne Zha 2 ahead of Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($2.071 billion) on the all-time global box office chart. The film’s impressive global success also includes becoming the highest-grossing animated movie ever, surpassing Inside Out 2.

In China, Ne Zha 2 is projected to finish with a staggering RMB 15.2 billion (approximately $2.1 billion). The movie continues to expand its reach with releases set for Indonesia on March 21, along with several European countries and Japan.

Additionally, Ne Zha 2 has set new records in IMAX, having grossed $155 million globally, making it the sixth highest-grossing IMAX release ever. Of that total, $151.6 million comes from China. In the UK, the film achieved the biggest opening for a local-language release in the IMAX format.

This success marks Ne Zha 2 as the first non-Hollywood film to surpass the $2 billion mark globally, cementing its position in the international box office race. The film is a direct sequel to 2019’s Ne Zha and continues the narrative set in the Fengshen Universe by Enlight Pictures, which began with Jiang Ziya in 2020.

Based on the classic Chinese novel Fengshen Yanyi (Investiture Of The Gods), Ne Zha 2 follows the story of a demon child raised by humans who forms an uneasy alliance with the dragon prince, Ao Bing. Together, they embark on an epic battle to protect their respective clans. Amidst the chaos, Ne Zha seeks a magical elixir to restore Ao Bing’s body, uncovering a dangerous conspiracy along the way.

With its impressive box office performance, Ne Zha 2 is proving that Chinese cinema continues to make significant strides on the global stage, competing with Hollywood blockbusters for worldwide attention.