The intellectual property (IP) merchandise for Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" has become a smash hit in recent days, with fans of the film scrambling to get their Ne Zha-themed souvenirs across China.
At a movie theater in Shanghai, Na Zha-related goods were almost sold out, with only a few items like figurines, blind box cards, and popcorn buckets remaining.
"Many of the most popular items were already sold out during the Spring Festival holiday [from January 28 to February 4]. This is our third restock already," said a staff member at the movie theater.
Formally known as "Ne Zha: Demon Child Conquers the Sea", the film is the sequel to the 2019 animated blockbuster "Ne Zha", drawing inspiration from the tale of a mythological figure of the same name from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) novel "Fengshen Yanyi", or "The Investiture of the Gods".
The enthusiasm toward "Ne Zha 2" has extended beyond movie theaters. At an anime merchandise store, acrylic-made ticket stubs and stress-relief toys featuring "Ne Zha" have been completely sold out as well.
The booming sales have prompted toy manufacturers to accelerate production. In Xiangtan, a city in central China's Hunan Province, Hunan Sunny and Sandy Toys Manufacturer, a company licensed to produce 3D toys of Ne Zha 2, brought over 500 workers back to the production line on Feb 2, the sixth day of the eight-day Chinese New Year holiday to meet the surging demand from consumers.
"About of 60 production lines in five factories have all been running at full capacity to produce merchandise for the blockbuster of Chinese animation Ne Zha. Our monthly production capacity for blind boxes alone is now between 6 million and 8 million units," said Yang Jie, board chairman of the company.
Yang also said that the company previously relied on well-known international IP to produce and export toys, but the rising popularity of Chinese animation has enabled the company to shift focus to the domestic market. So far, the company's Ne Zha figurines and related toys have achieved accumulative sales of over 200 million yuan (about 27.3 million U.S. dollars) on online platforms.
Sales of merchandise for Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" boom nationwide
Sales of merchandise for Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" boom nationwide
Sales of merchandise for Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" boom nationwide
