When Lilo & Stitch broke the $1 billion mark at the global box office this year, it was kind of a big deal. Disney certainly touted the success of the live-action remake, and to be sure (especially in a post-pandemic theatrical world) a billion-dollar movie is an accomplishment. Which is why it may surprise you to know it’s not the highest-grossing movie of the year, not by a long shot.
Unless you are a serious cinaphile who watches a lot of international movies, or you just happen to be obsessive about box office charts, then it’s a safe bet that you haven’t even heard of the highest-grossing movie of the year. In fact, it has brought in a global box office take more than twice that of Lilo & Stitch. It’s an animated film from China called Ne Zha 2.
China Ne Zha 2 Is The Highest Grossing Movie Of The Year
Released in January, Ne Zha 2 isn’t just the highest-grossing movie of the year, but with a global box office take of $2.2 billion (via THR), it’s the highest-grossing film since 2022’s Avatar: The Way of Water.
The film is, quite obviously, a sequel. Ne Zha was released in 2019 and became the highest-grossing animated film in China’s history, surpassing the immensely popular Zootopia. It’s based on Chinese myth and tells the story of the titular character, a reincarnation of a destructive primordial force called the Demon Orb.
You wouldn’t necessarily think that a blockbuster this big would be able to go by unnoticed, but the fact that it largely has shows just how Hollywood-focused we tend to be on this side of the Pacific Ocean. While Ne Zha 2 is certainly unique in its scale of success, it’s not uncommon for Chinese films to end up in the global box office top ten ahead of many Western hits.
You CAN Watch Ne Zha 2 (And The Original) in the U.S. Right Now
If you are somebody who has only just discovered that these blockbuster movies existed, and you want to see what all the fuss is about, the good news is that both Ne Zha 2, as well as the original film are available to view in the U.S. right now.
Ne Zha is currently streaming on multiple platforms. It can be viewed with a Netflix subscription or a Peacock subscription. If you don’t pay for either of those and are willing to deal with commercials, it can be seen on both Tubi and the Roku Channel for free.
In addition, an English dub of Ne Zha 2 debuted in limited release, thanks to A24 last weekend and, at least in my market, is still showing at a couple of theaters this weekend. So while it may not be screening at your local multiplex, you can probably still find it if you want to check it out, and help add to its already incredible box office success.