China’s highest-grossing movie of all times and the first non-Hollywood film to reach the top 9 in the global box office, “Ne Zha 2”, has been announced for release in Hong Kong and Macau, with its local premiere at the Emperor Cinema of the Lisboeta Macau integrated resort in Cotai tomorrow – and Macau Artistes Association Chairman Ken Sou Io Kuong told the Post yesterday he believed that the animated film was already a big success story in Chinese-language cinema and would help export Chinese culture to the international stage, adding that although the film would be released relatively late in Macau, “it’s still worth going to see as it is a good entertainment option for Macau residents”.
CCTV News reported that, according to data from online platforms, as of yesterday the global box office for “Ne Zha 2” had exceeded 12 billion yuan (13.24 billion patacas), surpassing the records set by “The Lion King” and “Jurassic World,” which were released in the US in 2019 and 2015, respectively, making it the ninth highest-grossing film in the world and the first Asian film to break into the top 10 at the global box office. Currently ranked as one of the top 2 animated films in the world, “Ne Zha 2” is the first film in Chinese cinema and the first in Asia to gross over 10 billion yuan at the box office, setting a record for the highest grossing film in any single market globally.
According to the CCTV News report, the film is expected to overtake last year’s US-film “Inside Out 2”, which grossed 12.3 billion yuan, to become the highest-grossing animated film at the box office worldwide.
“Ne Zha 2”, involving 138 animation companies and more than 4,000 crew members, was released on January 29, the first day of the Chinese New Year, in the mainland. According to CCTV News and Xinhua, it was officially released on Friday by CMC Pictures in Mandarin with English subtitles in more than 770 cinemas in North America cities, with pre-sale ticket sales and film schedules setting a new record for a Chinese-language film in North America over the past 20 years, and box office receipts of US$3.1 million (24.82 million patacas) on the first day.
On Friday, Beijing Enlight Media and Hong Kong-based Mandarin Motion Pictures announced the release of “Ne Zha 2” in cinemas under the Cinema City, MCL, Cine-Art House and Emperor Cinemas chains in Hong Kong and Macau.
According to Hong Kong media, the Hong Kong premiere of “Ne Zha 2” will be held tonight at Jade & Pearl Plaza in Causeway Bay. The Post contacted Emperor Cinema through the integrated resort operator Lisboeta yesterday and learnt that “Ne Zha 2” will premiere at the cinema tomorrow night.
In a phone interview with the Post, Sou said that the film excelled in screenwriting, special effects and plot, making it an excellent choice for family viewing. He added that it serves as an inspiration for local film and television creators to learn and grow, highlighting that “the director, who is not a graduate of his field, was able to capture the audience’s favourite things and create such a remarkable work,” which underscores the significance of hard work and creativity.
Sou pointed out that the animated film’s huge success was largely due to positive word of mouth, demonstrating the general public’s ability to appreciate quality works. It was also a positive sign for Macau, Sou said, adding that the “local film and television industry has always been slower than its neighbours, and the market is not yet mature”, but as long as the quality of the work was high enough, it could still be a success, even without the involvement of a celebrity, which was an encouragement to local creators and showed that the influence of Chinese works on the international stage was gradually increasing.
Regarding the late release of the film in Hong Kong and Macau compared to the Chinese mainland and even North America, Sou pointed out Macau’s uniqueness in the film market, saying that compared to the mainland, Macau has easier access to foreign language blockbusters, which gives audiences more choices. He strongly encouraged those who haven’t seen the film to support it in Macau, as “it is worth enjoying it”: “If Hong Kong and Macau are able to release the film, I think everyone who buys a ticket and supports the film will be recognising their own [Chinese] ethnicity, and will have the opportunity to appreciate the excellent work”.
Concerning the status quo and challenges of the local film industry, Sou pointed out that Macau’s film industry is relatively small and primarily relies on imported works, resulting in a weak local production force, suggesting that by leveraging the success of “Ne Zha,” Macau could produce voice-overs or subtitles that reflect local culture to attract audiences in Portuguese-speaking countries: “This will not only promote elements of Chinese culture but also enhance Macau’s status in cultural exchanges and expand its market influence”.
This photo taken on Thursday shows a poster for the Chinese animated mega-blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” at a cinema in Beijing’s Chaoyang District. – Xinhua
