An English-language version of the Chinese movie Ne Zha 2 (2025), which has surpassed Pixar’s Inside Out 2 (2024) as the highest-grossing animated feature of all time, will be released in the United States in August.
Ne Zha 2, which is based loosely on Chinese mythology and a famous 16th-century novel, has made US$2.2bil at the global box office, including US$20mil in the United States and Canada, according to A24, which is distributing the English version. That is more than any other animated film when not accounting for inflation; Inside Out 2 made US$1.7bil in 2024.
The English version will open on Aug 22 and feature the voice of Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh, the first Asian star to win Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022).
Yeoh, 62, will voice Nezha’s mother. The movie will also feature voice actors Aleks Le and Crystal Lee as well as Filipino-American actor Vincent Rodriguez III.
In the original Ne Zha, which earned US$726mil worldwide when it was released in 2019, Nezha is born as the reincarnation of a demon with supernatural powers who is destined to live only three years. He fights back against his fate and saves his village.
In the sequel, also written and directed by Chinese film-maker Yang Yu, Nezha challenges the political order and authority governing gods and demons, fighting the Dragon King of Four Seas and other creatures.
The sequel was released in China on Jan 29 and quickly became a smash hit, earning more than US$1bil in ticket sales in less than two weeks. Ne Zha 2 was the first non-Hollywood film to reach that milestone.
Yeoh, who also plays Madame Morrible in the Wicked movies (2024 and 2025), said in a statement that she was honoured to be part of Ne Zha 2, calling it a “landmark in Chinese animation and a powerful reminder of how universal our stories can be”.
“I can’t wait for everyone to experience the wonder, heart, spectacular artistry and magic of this film on the big screen,” she said.
The success of Ne Zha 2 has been good news for the Chinese film industry, which was struggling with poor ticket sales amid a weakening economy. The recent films to break through in China have not been the typical Hollywood blockbuster, but domestic features with patriotic themes or those that showcase traditional Chinese culture or folklore. – ©2025 The New York Times Company
