Highest-grossing animated film of all time gets English language makeover
Originally released in January, the acclaimed Chinese fantasy film has taken over $US1.9 billion ($2.9 billion) at the global box office, making it the highest-grossing non-English language film ever.
According to film industry data site The Numbers, it sits as the seventh highest-grossing film overall, not far behind Avengers: Infinity War, which grossed just over $US2 billion.
Ne Zha 2, the sequel to 2019's Ne Zha, follows a boy god from ancient Taoist scripture who battles dragons representing the forces of evil. It proved incredibly popular in China, becoming the first film ever to take more than $US1 billion in a single territory.
However, its popularity expanded far beyond China. In Australia, it debuted as the third-highest ranking feature at the local box office. By its second weekend, it had made $5.22 million.
Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once) will star in a lead voice role for the English-language version.
'I'm honoured to be part of Ne Zha 2, a landmark in Chinese animation and a powerful reminder of how universal our stories can be,' she said following the announcement of the English-language version. '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.'
The new version will be screened in premium large formats such as IMAX and 3D from August 28.
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