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Are you ready to watch the biggest movie in the world? It’s not Lilo & Stitch or Mission: Impossible—it’s Ne Zha 2, the sequel to the hit Chinese animated movie. The film, which quickly surpassed Inside Out 2 as the highest-grossing animated movie of all time, is set for release with a new English-language version in U.S. theaters (plus Canada, Australia, and New Zealand) on August 22 in IMAX, 3D, “and other premium large formats,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. A24 and CMC Pictures will handle the release, which will feature Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh as part of the dub’s voice cast.
“I’m honored to be part of Ne Zha 2, a landmark in Chinese animation and a powerful reminder of how universal our stories can be,” Yeoh said in a statement via the outlet. “Sharing this with audiences in English is such a joy, and I can’t wait for everyone to experience the wonder, heart, spectacular artistry, and magic of this film on the big screen.” A synopsis for the film from A24 reads, “A rebellious young boy, Ne Zha, is feared by the gods and born to mortal parents with wild, uncontrolled powers. Now he’s faced with an ancient force intent on destroying humanity, he must grow up to become the hero the world needs.”
The first installment, Ne Zha, was released in 2019 and was the highest-grossing animated film in China at the time. The sequel went on to break box office records as the first non-Hollywood movie to cross $2 billion worldwide in its original language version, per Deadline. Not only does it top the list of highest-grossing animated movies worldwide, it’s also the highest-grossing non-English language film of all time, and the fifth highest-grossing film ever (above Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Avengers: Infinity War, and Spider-Man: No Way Home). According to Box Office Mojo, the Chinese language version of Ne Zha 2 has only made around $20,000 in the U.S. (most of its money was made in China). The English dub is a victory lap for an already hugely successful film, but it has the chance to extend Ne Zha 2‘s dominance—and potentially set the stage for more non-Hollywood films in U.S. cinemas.
