The animated cinematic landscape has been irrevocably altered by the arrival of Ne Zha 2 (哪吒之魔童闹海 - Nézhā zhī Mótóng nào hǎi), also known internationally as Nezha: The Devil Boy Churns the Sea.
This 2025 Chinese fantasy action-adventure film, the highly anticipated sequel to the critically and commercially successful 2019 release Ne Zha, has achieved unprecedented global success, establishing itself as a landmark achievement in animation.
Drawing inspiration from the rich tapestry of Chinese mythology, specifically the iconic character Ne Zha and the classic 16th-century novel Investiture of the Gods (Fengshen Yanyi), Ne Zha 2 premiered in China on January 29, 2025, strategically aligning with the Chinese New Year celebrations.
The film has since rolled out across numerous international territories, including a North American release on February 14, 2025.
However, the initial North American debut featured a subtitled version, catering primarily to audiences familiar with or open to non-English language cinema.
In recent statements [per Variety], Catherine Ying, president of distributor CMC Pictures, has indicated that an English-dubbed iteration of the film, featuring recognizable voice talent, is currently in development.
This move signals a clear intention to broaden the film's accessibility to a wider demographic in English-speaking markets. And also signals that the film's impressive box office totals are potentially going to climb even higher.
The commercial performance of Ne Zha 2 has been nothing short of extraordinary. The film has definitively cemented its place in cinematic history by becoming the highest-grossing animated film worldwide, the highest-grossing non-English language film of all time, and the first animated feature to surpass the coveted $2 billion mark at the global box office.
Furthermore, Ne Zha 2 currently holds the distinction of being the highest-grossing film of 2025 and ranks as the fifth-highest-grossing film in the history of cinema.
Despite its monumental international success, Ne Zha 2's release in the United States on February 14, 2025, was on a limited scale, encompassing select theaters across the US and Canada.
According to a report from Variety, CMC Pictures has secured distribution across a significant 1,000 screens in North America and an additional 162 screens in Australia, underscoring the anticipated wider release of the English-dub version.
As audiences eagerly await the arrival of the English-dub, Ne Zha 2's impact on the global film industry remains undeniable. Its breathtaking animation, coupled with a compelling narrative rooted in timeless mythology, has resonated with viewers worldwide.
Stay connected with Toonado for forthcoming updates regarding the release date of the English-dubbed version of Ne Zha 2 in North American territories. This cinematic event promises to deliver a captivating experience for animation enthusiasts and general audiences alike.
In Ne Zha 2, after Ne Zha and Ao Bing were hit by the heavenly lightning, they survived by becoming Spirits. However, they soon learned that they would quickly fade away without their corporeal forms. To save them, Master Taiyi Zhenren plans to rebuild Ne Zha and Ao Bing’s mortal bodies with the Seven-colored Precious Lotus. However, during the process of reconstruction, things go wrong and Ne Zha and Ao Bing must now undergo a new trial set by the Immortal Wuliang to stop a war between the heavens and demons.