Box Office: Ne Zha 2 shatters records, OVERTAKES Spider-Man No Way Home in global rankings less than a month after release

Ne Zha 2 surpasses Spider-Man: No Way Home with USD 1.93 billion, becoming the seventh highest-grossing film ever and the top-earning non-English animated movie in history.

Written by Seema Sinha , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Feb 27, 2025 | 12:01 PM IST | 9.5K

Picture Courtesy: IMDb

In a historic box office achievement, Ne Zha 2 has surpassed Spider-Man: No Way Home’s USD 1.92 billion global earnings, securing its place as the seventh highest-grossing film of all time. The animated epic, which has dominated China’s box office since its release, now boasts a staggering USD 1.93 billion global total, with USD 1.9 billion coming from its domestic market alone in just 29 days.

On its fifth Wednesday in theaters, Ne Zha 2 continued its dominance, adding USD 7.4 million from over 201,000 screenings, marking the largest fifth Wednesday gross in a single market ever. Despite a 63.2% drop from the previous Wednesday, the film remains a powerhouse with USD 1.5 million in presales for its fifth Thursday, today, when it is set to play over 200,000 screenings.

The offering, directed by Jiaozi, serves as the highly anticipated sequel to Ne Zha (2019) and the third installment in Enlight Pictures’ Fengshen Universe, following Ne Zha and Jiang Ziya (2020). Drawing inspiration from Chinese mythology and the classic 16th-century novel Investiture of the Gods, the film explores the journey of the titular character and his companion Ao Bing as spirits, with master Taiyi Zhenren attempting to reconstruct their physical forms amid escalating celestial conflicts.

The film debuted in China on January 29, 2025, coinciding with the first day of the Chinese New Year. Much like its predecessor, Ne Zha 2 has been met with widespread critical acclaim for its animation, storytelling, and cultural significance.

With a production budget of USD 80 million, Ne Zha 2 has shattered multiple box office records. It became the highest-grossing animated film in history by surpassing Inside Out 2 (2024) in under three weeks. This marked the first instance where a non-American, non-English-language animated film claimed the milestone, highlighting the global appeal of Chinese cinema.

As Ne Zha 2 continues its unprecedented run, industry analysts speculate whether it could climb even higher in the global rankings. With continued momentum, the film looks poised to emerge as the highest-grossing film of 2025 amid competition from high-profile forthcoming releases like Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning and Avatar 3.