Holy crap: China's 'Ne Zha 2' debuts in China with a 5-day haul of $430MM
(Avengers Endgame finished its run at $630MM; the highest-ever grosser, The Battle at Lake Changjin, did $893MM)https://t.co/qhBUJ9QGRi via @Deadline
— Matthew Ball (@ballmatthew) February 2, 2025
China’s box office set a new record over the Lunar New Year holiday, with millions of citizens returning to theaters as COVID-19 restrictions eased. The resurgence in cinema attendance is seen as a significant indicator of recovery in the entertainment sector. Several blockbuster movies contributed to the record-breaking earnings.
Leading the box office is the animated film “Ne Zha 2”, grossing RMB 4.84B ($665.6M) to date.
IMAX is seeing its biggest Chinese New Year of all-time w/ $38.1M WED-SUN for 5 films in China on its many scrns there led by animated sequel #NeZha2 with monster $22.1M. Just like in US, franchises are the ones pulling auds into cinemas. Toon smash opening to total $400M+ 5-day!
— Gitesh Pandya (@GiteshPandya) February 2, 2025
This sets a single-film box office record for the Chinese New Year period and positions the film to become China’s biggest film ever potentially. Maoyan predicts that “Ne Zha 2” will finalize at RMB 8.7B ($1.2B) in China.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING EVERYDAY!
In #China’s #BoxOffice, at its 2nd WED 6pm local, phenomenon #NeZha2 beats the original #NeZha as highest grossing animation in a single market of ALL TIME.
With $72M in the can with 6 hours yet to go, the phenomenon crossed 700M mark a hits a… pic.twitter.com/VcmiGSWkio— Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) February 5, 2025
Should it cross the $1B mark, “Ne Zha 2” would make history as the first film to achieve that milestone in a single market, surpassing “Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens”‘ North American haul of $936.7M. Following “Ne Zha 2”, the box office lineup includes “Detective Chinatown 1900” at RMB 2.28B ($313.5M), “Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force” at RMB 998M ($137.2M), “Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants” at RMB 591.5M ($81.3M), “Boonie Bears: Future Reborn” at RMB 508.6M ($70M), and “Operation Hadal” at RMB 290.8M ($40M).
Ne Zha 2 breaks box office
All these films are still performing strongly in theaters. The success of this period can be attributed in part to a promotional scheme initiated by the China Film Administration, which offered RMB 600M ($83M) in subsidies to moviegoers. Additionally, campaigns at regional levels helped spur traffic.
USC professor and China expert Stanley Rosen commented, “The most important reason for success is the familiarity and quality of the films, all of which are part of a franchise.”
The Spring Festival period is typically the most lucrative for cinemas in China, providing an encouraging signal after a decline in the market, which saw a 25% slide overall in 2023. Rosen added, “The success in the film reflects a wider success in ‘cultural tourism’ and increased consumption, supporting the desire for entertainment despite economic challenges.
In addition to the box office boost, domestic travel during the Lunar New Year holiday also increased significantly. Millions of people took to the roads, skies, and railways to celebrate the traditional holiday with family and friends.
The surge in travel is credited to the relaxation of travel restrictions and a newfound public confidence in safety measures. Experts predict that the upward trends in box office sales and travel will likely continue, provided there are no new disruptions. The Lunar New Year period traditionally sees high consumer spending and mobility, serving as a bellwether for economic activity in the country.
