The box office revenue of the Chinese animated feature "Ne Zha 2" from third- and fourth-tier cities accounts for 57.2 percent of its national total. "Ne Zha 2" became the first Chinese film to gross 10 billion yuan (about 1.39 billion U.S. dollars) when its total global earnings, including presales, reached the mark on Thursday evening.
Achieved on the 16th day after the film's release on Jan 29, the Chinese New Year, this milestone adds to a growing list of records for "Ne Zha 2," which had already become the first film to gross one billion dollars in a single market and the first non-Hollywood title to join the coveted billion-dollar club. Box office tracker Beacon and Maoyan project the film's total domestic revenue to reach between 15 billion yuan and 16 billion yuan.
"As of now, our cinema's total box office revenue has reached 1.36 million, with 'Ne Zha 2' accounting for 70 to 80 percent of it. Since the first day of the Chinese New Year, the attendance rate for 'Ne Zha 2' has remained stable at 80 to 90 percent, with nearly 1,000 to 2,000 people watching it daily," said Mi Zhipeng, a manager of a cinema in Haidong City, northwest China's Qinghai Province.
"From 08:00 to 03:00, the seats for 'Ne Zha 2' are often fully booked. In the past half a month, from the Chinese New Year to the Lantern Festival, the film has brought in over one million yuan (about 137,000 U.S. dollars) in box office revenue, the highest since our cinema opened five years ago," said Yao Zhou, a manager of a cinema in Chongren County, Fuzhou City, east China's Jiangxi Province.
The film has proven hugely popular among moviegoers of all ages since its release during the Chinese New Year holiday. According to the latest data, as of Thursday afternoon, more than 200 million people had watched it in cinemas across China, making it the first Chinese film to achieve such viewing figures.
Many moviegoers have watched the film twice or even three times.
"This is my third time watching Ne Zha 2, and each time, I experienced different emotions. I am especially moved by how Ne Zha faces challenges with optimism and resilience—an attitude that we young people need in pursuing our dreams," said Xiao Wenli, a moviegoer in Jiangxi.
"My sister has watched it and highly recommended it to us. Just ten minutes ago, we bought six tickets -- for my two kids, my parents, my brother, and myself -- only to hear the news that its box office has surpassed 10 billion yuan," said Meng Li, an audience member in Shanghai.
China’s third- and fourth-tier cities drive over half of “Ne Zha 2” box office revenue
