Ne Zha 2: The Chinese film breaking the box office

What in the World

• Episode: Ne Zha 2: The Chinese film breaking the box office
• Website: What in the World
• Feed URL: https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/w13xtvrv.rss
• Duration: 00:10:57
• Published: 2025-02-26 15:30

Ne Zha 2 has just become the highest-grossing animated film of all time globally. It’s a fantasy film about a boy’s quest, fighting demons with magical powers, based on Chinese mythology. It’s now in the top 10 biggest movies in history and it could end up beating Avatar, as people are still going to see it. This is the first time the Chinese film industry - which is in large part controlled by the information arm of the Chinese Communist Party - has created such a successful film.

BBC journalist Koh Ewe explains why this film has been such a hit, and what this tells us about Chinese cinema. Kerry Allen, who monitors Chinese media for the BBC, explains what the reaction’s been like in China and film reviewer Sully from @SullyStreams on YouTube gives us his verdict on the film.

Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: [email protected] WhatsApp: +44 0330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison, Kevyah Cardoso and Adam Chowdhury Editor: Verity Wilde