{"id":45070,"date":"2025-02-28T06:33:32","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T06:33:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/?p=45070"},"modified":"2025-02-28T06:33:39","modified_gmt":"2025-02-28T06:33:39","slug":"ne-zha-2-the-highest-grossing-animated-film-in-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/londoncult.co.uk\/en\/ne-zha-2-the-highest-grossing-animated-film-in-history\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Ne Zha 2’: The Highest-Grossing Animated Film in History"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Needless to say, nothing like this had ever happened before\u2014nor did it seem possible. Wars, coups, dictatorships\u2014these, while disruptive, have been somewhat cyclical in our world. But Hollywood\u2019s dominance in cinema? That had long been an unshakable constant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This dominance took root in the mid-20th century, largely due to the two World Wars and various authoritarian regimes that hindered the development of film industries across Eurasia, giving the U.S. an insurmountable head start. Since then, Hollywood had remained the undisputed leader, particularly in commercial animation, which requires immense financial resources, cutting-edge technology, and an army of highly trained professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even as animation industries flourished worldwide in the 21st century, no one seriously entertained the idea of overtaking Hollywood. The numbers alone were daunting\u2014Hollywood animated films typically cost around $150 million to produce, while European studios operate on budgets of $10 million, and Russian animated features often cost just $3-7 million. Add to that the global pull of Hollywood talent, the most advanced animation software, a well-established domestic theatrical market, and a finely tuned international distribution system\u2014Hollywood\u2019s animation empire seemed invincible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But not to China. As the saying goes, patience and hard work can grind down even the toughest obstacles\u2014especially when that hard work is carried out by a nation of 1.4 billion people. As far back as the 1990s, China set its sights on becoming a global leader in animation. Over the past three decades, it has methodically pursued this goal through massive government investment, a proliferation of film schools, the establishment of enormous animation production hubs, and stringent protectionist policies (China imposes strict quotas on foreign content, making it more profitable for local companies to produce domestic films than to distribute imported ones). Slowly but surely, the groundwork was laid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unsurprisingly, by about a decade ago, Chinese animated films had reached technological parity with their Hollywood counterparts. But the real challenge wasn\u2019t technology\u2014it was artistic appeal. To understand why, we need to revisit the Cultural Revolution, which wiped out much of China\u2019s artistic tradition, including its animation heritage. Destroying a tradition is easy; rebuilding it, however, is a different matter entirely. As a result, despite their technical polish, Chinese animated films often felt\u2026 well, uninspired. The biggest issue was storytelling, though it didn\u2019t stop there\u2014character design lacked refinement, music didn\u2019t quite hit the mark, and animated performances sometimes felt superficial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That, however, also appeared to be a problem that time can solve. And in recent years, China has increasingly delivered high-quality animated films\u2014such as I Am What I Am, a vibrant, emotionally powerful film with a compelling narrative about chasing dreams, sharp social moments, and breathtaking visuals.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
IMDb.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Still, most industry watchers assumed it would take another decade before Chinese films could match Hollywood in box office returns\u2014let alone surpass them. The idea of a Chinese animated film topping international rankings? Unthinkable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So what makes Ne Zha 2 so exceptional? To Chinese audiences, apparently, everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, the film is deeply rooted in Chinese folklore, with its protagonist being an ancient deity who protects the downtrodden\u2014a figure with enduring popularity in China. The adventures of Ne Zha, a god-child who teases dragons, battles the Monkey King, and conquers the seas, have been the subject of countless stories. For screenwriters, this was a goldmine of material.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n