China’s record-smashing animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2 has brought a much-needed burst of enthusiasm to Beijing’s beleaguered film industry. An irreverent twist on Chinese mythology and a classic 16th-century novel, the sequel has earned $2.03 billion and smashed virtually every box office record that exists for an animated feature: It is the highest-grossing animated film of all time (overtaking Pixar’s Inside Out 2 at $1.7 billion) and the top-earning movie ever in a single market. Ne Zha 2‘s success also follows a bruising post-pandemic period for China’s film business. In 2024, annual ticket revenue in the country crashed 23 percent to $5.8 billion, the lowest t