Chinese animated film "Ne Zha 2" made global history on Friday, becoming the highest-grossing movie in a single market, surpassing previous record-holder "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
According to Chinese ticketing platform Beacon, "Ne Zha 2," a sequel to the 2019 hit featuring a mythical boy with magical powers and exceptional martial arts skills, grossed 6.7922 billion yuan (about 932 million U.S. dollars) as of 21:00 Beijing Time on Friday. This figure surpasses the box office earnings of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," released in North America in 2015.
The impressive record-breaking streak of "Ne Zha 2" came just a day after it topped China's box office chart, overtaking the 2021 war epic "The Battle at Lake Changjin."
"Ne Zha 2" premiered in Chinese cinemas on January 29, alongside other films such as "Detective Chinatown 1900" and "Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force." Together, these films helped China's Spring Festival box office revenue reach a historic milestone of 10 billion yuan (about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars).
The animated feature combines breathtaking animation with a rich narrative rooted in traditional folklore, taking audiences on an emotional journey that blends action, humor, and heart. It has attracted large numbers of young families, making it a film that resonates with all age groups.
'Ne Zha 2' tops global single-market box office list in film history
'Ne Zha 2' tops global single-market box office list in film history
'Ne Zha 2' tops global single-market box office list in film history
An increasing number of German consumers are considering buying electric vehicles (EVs) in the face of high fuel prices, according to a recent survey by the largest German online car trading platform, mobile.de.
As the Middle East tensions continue to drive up international oil and gas prices, the cost of automotive fuel has been rising steadily in many European countries.
According to fuel price data compiled by the German Association of the Automotive Industry, since the United States and Israel launched military strikes against Iran on February 28, gasoline prices in Germany have risen by nearly 20 percent, while diesel prices have shot up by more than 30 percent.
Results from a recent survey by mobile.de show that if gasoline prices remain at current high levels, 43 percent of respondents said they would switch to EVs, and 36 percent cited long-term cost savings as the most important reason for considering an EV purchase.
Additionally, the platform's data show that inquiries about used EVs surged by 66 percent in the first half of March.
"We are absolutely seeing much more interest on mobile.de for electric cars. What the German energy transition couldn't do, this current geopolitical situation has done in terms of transition to electric cars," said Ajay Bhatia, CEO of mobile.de.
In addition to high oil prices, government subsidies are also a key factor driving German consumers to consider purchasing EVs.
The German government announced the resumption of subsidies in January of this year, planning to invest 3 billion euros over the next few years to provide purchase subsidies for some 800,000 EVs.
Driven by the combined effects of high oil prices and subsidy policies, German consumers' interest in EVs has grown clearly. However, it remains to be seen whether this shift will evolve into a more sustained market trend.
"How long it will stay is anyone's guess, but at the moment we're absolutely seeing an increase, and sometimes these transitions need a catalyst. And this is definitely a catalyst that is seeing the transition to electric cars speed up," said Bhatia.
More Germans interested in buying EVs due to high oil prices: survey
