Chengdu Cultivates Phenomenal Animation IP as Ne Zha 2 Tops 10 Billion Yuan in Box Office

/EIN News/ -- CHENGDU, China, Feb. 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On the evening of February 13th, Chinese cinema embraced a historic milestone with the birth of the first film to top 10 billion yuan in box office. As of the evening of Feb 13, Ne Zha zhi Motong Naohai, a.k.a. Ne Zha 2, has grossed ten billion yuan (including pre-sales) and ranks among the top three best-selling animated films worldwide, while also listed as the 17th-highest-grossing film worldwide in all categories.

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Since its premier, Ne Zha 2 has set various records. Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger writes that Ne Zha 2 is distinguished as the first non-Hollywood blockbuster to surpass the billion-dollar mark, and soon after debuting in theaters it already emerged as one of the world's most successful films. Starting from 2019, more than 4,000 individuals participated in and numerous studios supervised its production, with most of the action taking place in Chengdu, widely considered the heart of the Chinese animated film industry.

Behind Ne Zha 2 is an "indigenous" animation production industrial chain. From number one producer Chengdu Coco Cartoon Co., Ltd., to organizations responsible for the movie's special effects, voiceovers and other elements, Chengdu companies are found throughout.

Of these, a large number of key enterprises on the Ne Zha 2 production industrial chain are located right inside the movie's "birthplace" -- Gazelle Digital Cultural and Creative Valley of the Tianfu Software Park. The complex focuses in fields such as gaming and e-sports, film and television media, digital music, and super hi-def videos, and is home to over 6,000 companies engaged in the digital cultural and creative sector, including Tencent, Tik Tok and Migu Music.

Liu Ying, a person in charge of MOREVFX Chengdu Digital Image and Technology Co., Ltd., which participated in the creation of the film's special effects, indicates that Chengdu offers a wide range of gaming and animation project experiences, a large reserve of human resources in visual effects production, and a high degree of inclusiveness in the city's characteristic, all of which combine into a fertile field favorable to the growth of the animation industry.

From hot pot and ancient Shu civilization-inspired Barrier Beasts, to Taiyi Zhenren's accent and bamboo chairs and gaiwan tea (covered bowl tea) seen in Chentang Pass (Chentangguan), Chengdu elements are broadly seen in the character design to environment design of Ne Zha 2. Director Yang Yu, a.k.a. Jiaozi, explains that Chengdu's inclusiveness and cultural heritage provide endless inspirations for creativity, while the industrial ecology established by the government enabled technical realization of said creativity.

Chengdu already laid the groundworks for the digital industry as early as 2002. The city was named one of the national-level gaming, comic and animation industry development bases in 2006, alongside giants Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. At present, the Chengdu film and television industry employs more than 100,000 individuals, and there are 220,000 university students in related majors.

The film's boundary-transcending triumph has catapulted Chengdu into the limelight, because this "home of giant pandas" has succeeded in the innovative fusion of traditional culture and modern industry into a core competitiveness conducive to the city's development.

In 2023, the 31st edition of the FISU Summer World University Games took place in Chengdu, and the promo film Adventures of Ne Zha and Rong Bao (mascot of the Games) effectively elevated Chengdu's cultural influence.

The encounter between Ne Zha and the giant panda in Chengdu is fascinating. The two seem to bear no relationship with one another, but they are in fact colossal trees grown from the same cultural soil. Following the footsteps of the giant panda, today Ne Zha is fast becoming a focal point of attention overseas.

Source: Gazelle Digital Cultural and Creative Valley of the Tianfu Software Park

Contact person: Ms. Hou, Tel: 86-10-63074558