In Ne Zha 2, China finds its latest vehicle for cultural pride

Film has become country's biggest ever, and all eyes are on how well it will do overseas

- Joyce ZK Lim

SHENZHEN - A wide-eyed demon-child from a centuries-old folk tale has made it into the box office big leagues.

Ten days into its release, Chinese animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2 raked in more than US$1 billion (S$1.34 billion) to become China's highest-grossing movie of all time.

It has also broken into a list of the world's top 20 highest-earning movies as at Feb 13, the local media highlighted, and is the only non-Hollywood film in these ranks.

The movie's success has been greatly celebrated in China, with its every box office milestone breathlessly tracked.

"Ne Zha 2 shows the world the rise of the Chinese film industry", proclaimed a headline from the state-run Global Times.

And as its international release rolls out this week in some countries, all eyes are on how many wallets and hearts China's latest cultural export can win overseas.

Loosely based on the 16th-century novel Investiture Of The Gods, Ne Zha 2 tells the story of the eponymous anti-hero: a boy who has come to terms with his identity as a demon, and challenges the social hierarchy as he battles for friendship and family.

It is the sequel to 2019's Ne Zha, in which the character - doomed to live only three years and shunned by society - overcame fate and saved his village. The film had hitherto been China's best-performing animated movie.

A household name in China long before these movies, the character of Ne Zha often appears in films and television, and is even an electric vehicle brand.

Ne Zha 2 pays homage not just to this beloved folk icon, but also to traditional Chinese culture.