Ne Zha 2continues setting unprecedented box office records for animation, and there are only two Disney movies that could beat it. Produced by Beijing Enlight Media, the Chinese fantasy epic has long surpassed Disney’s highest-grossing animated movies. Almost a month ago now,Ne Zha 2passedInside Out 2’s box officeearnings. Now, it’s on its way to takeAvengers: Infinity WarandStar Wars: The Force Awakens’places among thehighest-grossing films of all time.
Yu Yang made his directorial debut withNe Zha, which earned $726 million worldwide. Now, he has raised his own bar with his eye-catching, witty, and heart-rending multi-billion-dollar sequel.Ne Zha 2’s successful sequel setupis heavily tied to its cultural value, as it is based onInvestiture of the Gods, a 16th-century Chinese novel and a vernacular text of its genre. ThoughDisney keeps getting closer to the $2 billion box office mark,it generally ends up a few hundred million dollars short. However, these two sequels might be Disney’s best chance to beatNe Zha 2.
Ne Zha 2 Has Made Over $2 Billion At The Worldwide Box Office Now
Ne Zha 2 Is The First Animated Movie To Reach $2 Billion
In its opening weekend in China on July 27, 2025,Ne Zha 2earned about $151 million, beatingFrozen 2’s grand $130 million debut. Though it got close toInside Out 2’s $155 million, it fell short ofThe Lion King’s $191.7 million opening. However, around February 14, Yu Yang’s long-awaited sequel defied predictions, breaking the record for the highest-grossing movie in a single region.By February 29, it became the highest-grossing animated movie of all time, earning $1.704 billionagainstInside Out 2’s $1.698 billion.
“Best Animation Quality China Has Ever Done”: Ne Zha 2’s Unprecedented $1.6B Box Office Success Explained By IMAX China CEO As It Arrives In US Theaters
Ne Zha 2’s unprecedented $1.6 billion box office success gets explained by IMAX China CEO Daniel Manwaring as the film is released in the US.
At the time of writing,Ne Zha 2has earned more than $2 billion, setting a new benchmark for animated moviesto rival the biggest live-action franchises. Only five films have gotten close toAvatar’s ridiculous $2 billion box office mark, among themAvengers: Endgame,Avatar: The Way of Water,Titanic,Star Wars: The Force Awakens,andAvengers: Infinity War. However,Ne Zha 2’stheatrical reign is far from over, as it’s currently playing in several countries, but has yet to be released in others — meaning it could still beat some of the highest-grossing movies of all time.
Toy Story 5 & Frozen 3 Are Disney’s Best Chances To Beat Ne Zha 2’s Box Office
Frozen 3 Is Backed By Being Disney’s Highest-Grossing Franchise At The Moment
Surprisingly, Disney Animation only has one movie that belongs in the top 10 highest-grossing movies, asInside Out 2placed no. 9 for its $1.7 billion. However, the Pixar sequel is still way behind the seven movies passing the $2 billion mark. That said, the studio does have two chances at beatingNe Zha 2for place no. 7. Notably, Disney and Pixar are rolling out sequels to their most popular franchises back-to-back, withToy Story 5set for release on June 01, 2025, whileFrozen 3’s predicted box office recordsshould come after August 18, 2025.
TheFrozenfranchise might be the studio’s best option for beatingNe Zha 2, as its two installments broke box office records upon their release, taking theToy Storyfranchise’s claim as Disney’s no. 1.
TheFrozenfranchise might be the studio’s best option for beatingNe Zha 2,as its two installments broke box office records upon their release, taking theToy Storyfranchise’s claim as Disney’s no. 1. The first movie beatToy Story 3as the highest-grossing animated movie in 2013, andFrozenremains one of Disney’s highest-grossing filmsever.Frozen 2still has the biggest worldwide opening for an animated film, earning $358 million, more thanToy Story 4($244.5 million) andThe Lion Kingremake ($245.9 million).
Toy Story 5 & Frozen 3 Are Still Unlikely To Outgross Ne Zha 2
Frozen 3 Is Expected To Beat Frozen 2 By No More Than $3 Million
WhileFrozen 3certainly has the opportunity to defy box office expectations, it’s a tall order for it to outgrossNe Zha 2. The first movie made $1.3 billion, while its sequel merely jumped to $1.45 billion.ForFrozen 3to surpassNe Zha 2’s box office profits, it would need to beatFrozen 2by more than $500 million. Notably,Toy Story 4only raisedToy Story 3’s box office by $6 million. ThoughTim Allen teasedToy Story 5’s cool story, audiences have been preparing for the beloved franchise’s farewell since the third installment.
Accordingly, it is highly unlikely thatToy Story 5will significantly surpass the box office earnings of its predecessors, let aloneNe Zha 2. Additionally, even if Elsa and Anna’s new movie is surrounded by positive expectations and a genuine interest in the franchise, it doesn’t seem possible thatFrozen 3matchesNe Zha 2’s unparalleled success in China. The franchise’s Rotten Tomatoes scores, though very high, are below Yu Yang’s fantasy movies, withFrozen 2getting a 92% audience score, whileNe Zha 2currently has an impressive 99%, andNe Zhaa 98%.
