INDUSTRY BRIEF: ‘Ne Zha 2’ a dud at global box office

Despite earning a massive $2.15 billion in ticket sales, the blockbuster animated film “Ne Zha 2” has earned just $60 million from sales outside China, financial media Caixin reported on Thursday. Since its release during the Chinese New Year holiday period, the movie about a devil child has become a source of national pride for China, shattering the global box office record for highest ticket sales by an animated film.

Despite being released outside China with big hype, the film failed to find a foreign audience, with the Chinese market supplying more than 97% of its ticket sales.

The disappointing results outside its home market reflect the difficulty Chinese filmmakers have creating movies with global appeal. Analysts told Caixin the film may have lacked appeal for non-Chinese viewers due to its heavy use of Chinese cultural elements, including Taoist cultural references. Despite its huge success at home, “Ne Zha 2” ranks only 10^th among Chinese films released overseas. The top nine are mostly martial arts films, which are more popular with global audiences, according to Caixin.

By Doug Young

To subscribe to Bamboo Works weekly free newsletter, click here