The highly anticipated animated film "Ne Zha: Demon Child Conquers the Sea" (Ne Zha 2) officially premiered across over 60 cinemas in Hong Kong and Macao this Saturday.
Jointly distributed in Hong Kong and Macao by Mandarin Motion Pictures Ltd., Intercontinental Film Distributors (H.K.) Ltd., Sil-Metropole Organization Ltd., and Emperor Motion Pictures, Ne Zha 2 will see over 200 daily screenings scheduled across both regions, marking an unprecedented milestone in Hong Kong and Macao cinema history.
On the first day, the film exceeded expectations, with screenings growing from 500 to over 800 sessions. Many cinemas ran showings from 09:00 until midnight.
Pre-sales for Ne Zha 2 have been incredibly popular in both regions, especially for IMAX showings, with tickets for peak times quickly becoming unavailable.
"We are screening Ne Zha 2 more than 20 times a day, which makes up 70 percent of our total daily screenings. The pre-sale figures are impressive, with peak showings nearly reaching 90 percent occupancy. The audience response has been overwhelmingly positive. There is also a strong demand from various groups and institutions for private screenings. We're considering adding more showings to meet the demand," said an operation manager at a cinema in Macao.
"I've already seen Ne Zha 2 in the mainland, and I was totally amazed. The movie features many elements of Chinese culture and showcases the richness and depth of our traditional heritage, along with its unique charm. The animation and visual effects are also stunning," said a moviegoer from Macao.
"We grew up hearing the story of Ne Zha, but this movie presents it in a completely fresh way. The depiction of Chen Tang Guan (Ne Zha's hometown) is breathtaking. After watching it, I told my husband that we should go there to see if it is really like that. After seeing the food Ne Zha and the children ate in the movie, my son told me he also wanted to try it. The film retains a lot of traditional Chinese culture and adds a lot of new elements. It is also very funny. We all like it. The most important thing is that we are very happy to see that the Chinese animated film is so good with rich cultural elements and can be promoted to all over the world. We are very excited and hope to see more and better Chinese animated films in the future," said a moviegoer from Hong Kong.
"I've been waiting for this movie and I have definitely not been disappointed. This movie is really spectacular. I really like the beautiful sceneries, I like the design, the animation. The action scenes, I would say, are fantastic, are really impressive. And definitely, if you compare this to Hollywood movies, there is no difference. This is really on the same level, I would say," said a German moviegoer.
Offering a perfect mix of action, humor, and emotional depth that resonates with audiences of all ages, the blockbuster has made headlines with a list of spectacular records. It established itself as China's all-time top-grossing film as early as Feb 6, just nine days after its release during the Chinese New Year.
As of 13:02 Saturday, the film has seen its box office revenue worldwide, including presales, surpass 15 billion yuan (about 2.07 billion U.S. dollars), according to ticketing platforms.
"Ne Zha 2" premieres in Hong Kong, Macao as box office surges
"Ne Zha 2" premieres in Hong Kong, Macao as box office surges
