You’ve probably seen the headlines or maybe a stray TikTok clip of a fiery kid with circles under his eyes fighting a dragon. It looks cool, sure, but the numbers coming out of this thing are actually insane. Ne Zha 2—officially titled Nezha: The Demon Child Churns the Sea—didn’t just perform well. It basically ate the global box office for breakfast in 2025.
We’re talking about a movie that crossed the $2.2 billion mark.
To put that in perspective, it’s currently sitting as the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time. It’s the king of animation now, having dethroned every Disney and Pixar giant you can name. And honestly? It did it while being a 144-minute epic that is way more "shōnen anime" than "sing-along fairy tale."
If you’re wondering how a sequel to a Chinese mythological movie became the biggest story in cinema, you aren’t alone. Most people in the West barely noticed the first one dropped in 2019, but the sequel is a different beast entirely. It’s louder, darker, and way more expensive.
What Actually Happens in Ne Zha 2?
The story picks up right where the first one left us hanging. If you remember, Ne Zha and his best friend/rival Ao Bing basically got nuked by a heavenly lightning strike. They survived, but only as spirits. Their bodies were toast.
Director Jiaozi (real name Yang Yu) doesn't waste time. The sequel starts with their master, Taiyi Zhenren, trying to bake them new bodies using a Seven-Colored Sacred Lotus. It sounds simple. It isn't.
The Body-Sharing Twist
Because the restoration process goes sideways, Ne Zha and Ao Bing end up forced to share a single, fragile body. This is where the movie gets its unique flavor. One has to "sleep" while the other takes the wheel. Ne Zha, being the chaotic gremlin he is, has to take sleeping pills to let the more disciplined Ao Bing handle the "Immortal Trials."
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These trials are a series of tests set by the Chan Sect, led by a new villain named Immortal Wuliang. The goal? Prove they aren't "demons" and earn a potion to give Ao Bing his own body back.
The Real Villain Revealed
The movie takes a massive turn when you realize the "heavenly" side isn't the good guys. Wuliang and his demon hunters are essentially running a false-flag operation. They’ve been destroying villages and framing the Dragon Kings to justify their own power.
There's a brutal moment where Chentang Pass—Ne Zha’s home—is leveled. Ne Zha thinks the dragons did it. He goes full "rage mode," finishes the third trial alone by crushing a stone monster named Shi Ji, and achieves "Xian" (immortal) status.
But it’s a trap.
The Chan Sect wanted to throw everyone—dragons, Ne Zha, his parents—into a giant cauldron to turn them into "immortality elixirs." It’s dark stuff. Especially when Ne Zha watches his mother, Lady Yin, get dissolved into light.
Why the Animation Costs $80 Million
You can see every cent of that 600 million yuan budget on the screen. It’s officially the most expensive animated film ever made in China. They had over 4,000 people working on this.
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The special effects shots are the real standout. The first movie had about 1,300. This one? Over 1,900.
When Ne Zha finally snaps at the end, he absorbs the "Samadhi Fire" from the cauldron. The screen basically turns into a kaleidoscope of gold and crimson. It doesn't look like the smooth, rounded 3D of a Toy Story. It feels like a high-budget martial arts epic that just happens to be animated.
The Michelle Yeoh Factor and the US Release
In a wild move, A24 handled the US distribution for the English dub in August 2025. They even brought in Michelle Yeoh to voice Lady Yin.
Despite the star power, the movie didn't exactly set the US box office on fire. It made about $23 million domestically, which is a drop in the bucket compared to its $2 billion global haul.
Why the disconnect?
Honestly, the movie is "extremely Chinese." That’s not a bad thing, but it doesn't hold your hand. If you don't know the Investiture of the Gods (the 16th-century novel it's based on), some of the deep lore about the Chan and Jie sects might fly over your head. It’s also long. Two and a half hours is a big ask for a "family" movie in the States.
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But here’s the thing: it’s found a second life on HBO Max. As of early 2026, it’s been hovering in the Top 10. People are discovering it at home, where they can pause and process the sheer amount of plot being thrown at them.
That Ending and the Setup for Ne Zha 3
The finale is a massive brawl where Ne Zha and the dragons finally team up to break the cauldron and push back the heavenly armies. It’s a victory, but a pyrrhic one.
The mid-credits scene is what has everyone talking.
We see Wuliang retreating to a secret vault. He’s holding the first movie’s antagonist, Shen Gongbao, and his father captive. Wuliang reveals he has a "special plan" for them in the upcoming Deification War.
We also get a glimpse of Ne Zha’s older brothers, Jinzha and Muzha. If you know the mythology, you know these two are big players. Their introduction basically confirms that Ne Zha 3 is going to be an "Avengers-level" event for Chinese mythology fans.
What You Should Do Now
If you haven't seen it, don't jump straight into the sequel. You’ll be lost.
- Watch the 2019 original first. It sets up the relationship between Ne Zha and Ao Bing, which is the emotional core of the second film.
- Check out the documentary. There’s a BTS film called Bùpò-bùlì (No Innovation Without Destruction). It shows how they actually pulled off those cauldron sequences.
- Keep an eye on streaming. If you're in the US, HBO Max is the easiest way to catch the A24 dub, though many purists argue the original Mandarin voice acting carries the emotional weight better.
The era of Hollywood dominating the global Top 5 is officially over. Ne Zha 2 proved that a movie rooted deeply in local folklore can out-earn almost anything if the spectacle is big enough. It’s a loud, messy, beautiful piece of cinema that demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible.