Live Updates: ‘Ne Zha 2’ To Surpass All Disney Animated Films, Will Become Highest-Grossing Theatrical Animation Release – Cartoon Brew
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By Amid Amidi | 02/14/2025 3:52 pm | Be the First to Comment!Chinese animation sensation Ne Zha 2 is now on track to become the highest-grossing theatrical animation release of all time, a remarkable feat considering that it will achieve the milestone from its gross in China alone. The record is expected to be broken within the next three days.Bookmark this post for regular updates on the film’s stunning box office performance and what it means more broadly for the animation world:February 15, 9:30am PT — On Saturday, Ne Zha 2′s 18th day of release in China, the film grossed a staggering $107.3 million in China. That was the film’s best day at the Chinese box office since its seventh day of release. The film’s total from Chinese theaters now stands at $1.54 billion, surpassing the $1.45 billion of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Frozen 2 to become the third-highest-grossing animated film in history. February 14, 11:20pm PT — The English subtitled version of Ne Zha 2 opened across roughly 750 theaters in the United States today. Early projections, via Deadline, show the film landing in fifth place over the President’s Day holiday, with $5.9 million in the Friday-Sunday period, and $6.5 million over the four-day holiday period. February 14, 7:15pm PT — Since 1937, when the Walt Disney Company released Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the studio has owned the title of highest-grossing theatrical animated film for all but six years. The only period when it previously lost the title was in 2004 when Dreamworks Animation’s Shrek 2 became the highest-grossing animated film, but Disney recovered the title in 2010 with Toy Story 3 and has held it ever since, topping itself with Frozen in 2013 ($1.3 billion), The Lion King cg remake in 2019 ($1.65 billion), and Inside Out 2 in 2024 ($1.69 billion). In a few days, Disney will lose the title again to Ne Zha 2, which is currently headed to north of $2 billion.February 14, 3:30pm PT — On Friday, Ne Zha 2′s 17th day of release in China, the film grossed $78.8 million, lifting its overall total to $1.43 billion from Chinese theaters. The film is distributed by CMC Pictures, and directed by Yu “Jiaozi” Yang.After passing The Super Mario Bros. Movie yesterday, Ne Zha 2 is currently fourth on the all-time highest-grossing animated film list, behind three Disney animated films. The list as it currently stands: Chinese tracking firm Maoyan is currently projecting that Ne Zha 2 will exceed $2 billion in Chinese box office gross. Only six films have ever reached the $2B milestone, and none animated. The film’s daily gross is still rising at a torrid pace and it isn’t following the box office trajectory of other top-grossing Chinese films, which typically flatten out after a couple weeks. See chart below:Cumulative Boxoffice Comparison🟤#哪吒之魔童闹海 #Nezha2🟢#长津湖 #TheBattleatLakeChangjin🟠#战狼2 #WolfWarrior2🟣#你好李焕英 #HiMom🔴#哪吒之魔童降世 #NeZha🔵#流浪地球 #TheWanderingEarth#ChinaBoxOffice #BoxOffice pic.twitter.com/x7iS6B1hFQ— 防弹松鼠 (@bulletproofsqui) February 14, 2025 The fact that Ne Zha 2 will gross $2 billion in a single market is a monumental accomplishment. Prior to this film, no title — live-action or animated — had even crossed $1 billion in a single market. The previous single-market record was an American film — Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens — which grossed $936 million during its U.S. run. In China, the record was held by The Battle at Lake Changjin, which grossed 5.77 billion yuan, or roughly US$913 million at the time of its release.Amid Amidi is Cartoon Brew’s Editor in Chief.By Cartoon Brew Connect | 3 months agoBy Cartoon Brew Connect | 5 months agoBy Cartoon Brew Connect | 5 days agoBy Cartoon Brew Connect | 2 days agoBy Joe Fordham | 3 days agoBy Joe Fordham | 3 days agoBy Amid Amidi | 3 days agoBy Chris Robinson | 3 days agoBy Amid Amidi | 4 days agoBy Amid Amidi | 4 days agoBy Joe Fordham | 5 days agoBy Cartoon Brew Connect | 5 days agoBy Amid Amidi | 5 days agoBy Chris Robinson | 6 days agoBy Amid Amidi | 7 days ago
