Hollywood director Mike Mitchell, known for his work on the martial arts animal sequel "Kung Fu Panda 4," has praised Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" for its production quality and its portrayal of Chinese culture.
In an interview with China Central Television, Mitchell thumbed up the superior level of Chinese animated films.
"It was epic and huge and beautiful and big, but it was also great to see that combined with emotional storytelling and great comedic set pieces. That's a hard combination to get. It is very serious and epic and very, very funny at the same time. And the filmmaking team just nailed it. Humbling, humbling as an animation director, a lot going on in this film. That would have to be Ne Zha [when talking about my favorite character], and he is such a funny, delightful character when he evolves to his new design. I'm a bit concerned for 'Ne Zha 3' that we don't get to see that little, cranky, cutie boy again," said Mitchell.
Mitchell said he has always shown a keen interest in Chinese culture as the director of "Kung Fu Panda 4."
"'Journey to the West' is one of my favorite films. To me, it is just like wonderful and great storytelling and great characters, but I wasn't so familiar and it didn't affect me enjoying the story at all," said Mitchell.
With high expectations for Chinese cinema, Mitchell hopes to see more high-quality Chinese films reaching American and global audiences.
"I don't specifically need to see them dubbed. I prefer to hear the voice acting, like that was another thing about 'Ne Zha 2' that I really enjoyed is hearing the quality of the voice," said Mitchell.
Mitchell also expressed his anticipation for traveling to China and witnessing the growth of high-quality Chinese films.
"My very specific advice would be keep doing it, keep making these wonderful films, keep making them emotional, epic and funny," said Mitchell.
"Ne Zha 2" has made new record by ranking 6th on the all-time global box office chart, with its total box office revenue surpassing that of Avengers: Infinity War, ticketing platforms showed on Sunday.
As of 18:46 on Sunday, the movie's 40th day in theaters, its global earnings, including pre-sales, had exceeded 2.05 billion U.S. dollars, according to data from the ticketing platform Maoyan.
This movie was released on January 29, during the 2025 Chinese New Year festival holiday.
Hollywood director praises 'Ne Zha 2' superior production quality and success
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
