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Which animated movie has done the best at the box office? Inside Out 2 is too out of reach, The Lion King isn’t getting this crown, and Elsa’s been iced out. Instead, that title goes to a mischievous young boy from Chinese mythology. While the story of Ne Zha has already been told in numerous adaptations that will be familiar to the Chinese diaspora, writer-director Jiaozi found unprecedented success with a pair of fantasy action-adventure movies that reintroduce the familiar hero as a reincarnated demon. Ne Zha 2 became the first and only animated movie to ever cross the $2 billion mark at the global box office after its release in January. It’s also set records outside animation; Jiaozi’s sequel brought in $1.4 billion at the box office in his home country, making Ne Zha 2 the best-performing film in a single market by a large margin (per CNN, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is in second place after making $936 million in the U.S. and Canada in 2015). And when it came to securing the rights to rerelease such a lucrative title, A24 got the dub … literally.
When is Ne Zha 2 being released?
Rereleased, you mean? Ne Zha 2 already hit theaters in China back on January 29, and it had a limited release in the U.S. on Valentine’s Day. But A24 is now rereleasing a new English dub of the film on August 22 in theaters — including Imax screens and other premium formats — in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
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Who’s in the A24 cast for Ne Zha 2?
Michelle Yeoh is mother. (Or should we say 妈妈?) The Oscar winner will play Lady Yin, replacing Stephanie Sheh as the English voice of the titular character’s mother. The full English-language cast for the rerelease also includes Vincent Rodriguez III, Damien Haas, Aleks Le, and Crystal Lee.
What happens in Ne Zha 2?
Ne Zha is “faced with an ancient force intent on destroying humanity, he must grow up to become the hero the world needs,” according to an official synopsis from A24. The sequel picks up right after the events of 2019’s Ne Zha, when our main character and his friend, the dragon prince Ao Bing, lost their physical forms. The trailer teases more magic, big battles, and plenty of characters from folklore — plus Yeoh as a mother who can still embarrass a young hero by asking for a hug.
Where can I watch the first Ne Zha?
You have plenty of options. It’s available to watch for free (with ads) on YouTube, the Roku Channel, Viki, and Tubi. It’s also streaming both on Peacock and Apple TV+. To rent or purchase it, use Fandango at Home or Prime Video. (If you have a preference between the English dub and the Chinese original with captions, make sure to specify during your search.)
