China Box Office: ‘Ne Zha 2' Stays on Top as Jason Statham's ‘A Working Man' Opens Quietly
Jason Statham-starring action thriller 'A Working Man,' released by Black Bear, debuted in second place with a modest $3.3 million. Despite the soft launch, the film marked the weekend's strongest new release.
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Hanna Pictures' 'The River of Fury' dropped to third place, earning $2.1 million. The film's cumulative stands at $5.4 million after two weeks in release. Directed by Feng Yongqin, the film is a crime thriller where the mysterious disappearance of a woman is related to a series of murders.
As One Production's 'Detective Chinatown 1900' continues to hold steady in fourth place with $1.8 million, pushing its total to $494.7 million. The enduring popularity of the franchise has kept the film in the top five for nine consecutive weeks.
Rounding out the top five was Lian Ray Pictures' 'New Life,' which earned $0.7 million in its second weekend, bringing its total to $3.2 million. Directed by Dong Hongjie, the drama follows a lonely worker who befriends a stray dog.
Total weekend box office revenue reached $20.8 million, bringing China's 2025 year-to-date total to $3.39 billion — representing a 50.4% increase compared to the same period in 2024. While no breakout new release emerged this weekend, the market remains strong thanks to the staying power of domestic hits like 'Ne Zha 2,' albeit now a far cry from the record-breaking heights of the Lunar New Year holiday period.
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San Francisco Chronicle
39 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Michelle Yeoh brings Chinese blockbuster 'Ne Zha 2' to life in English dub
When Michelle Yeoh first saw 'Ne Zha 2' in Hong Kong, she walked away dreaming about a dubbed version. The Chinese blockbuster, which this year became the highest-grossing animated film of all time with over $2.2 billion in ticket sales, had seemed to her like an ideal movie for a global, all-ages audience. But even she, who had the benefit of knowing Mandarin, was having trouble keeping up with the subtitles and all the spectacular things happening on screen. How would a kid stand a chance? The Oscar winner, who is fluent in English, Malay and Cantonese, wasn't alone in thinking a dub was a good idea. The film studio A24 was already making plans to broaden the audience with an English-language version in collaboration with CMC Pictures. Not too long after, Yeoh got a call asking if she wanted to voice Ne Zha's mother, Lady Yin. Her response? 'Hell yes,' she told The Associated Press in a recent interview. The English-language dub opens in over 2,500 North American theaters on Aug. 22. The film tells the story of a rebellious little child, Ne Zha, born as the reincarnation of a demon to mortal parents, who is out to prove his fate is not predetermined. In the first film, he sacrifices himself. In the second, he's put to the test to try to save his friend and his village. Don't worry if you haven't seen the first either — the sequel tells the audience everything they need to know. And while this character might be new to American audiences, the mythology is well known in China. Yeoh grew up watching various TV and movie versions, but had never seen it done so vividly. The making of 'Ne Zha 2' took five years and required the work of some 4,000 people from 138 Chinese animation companies. The finished film, which runs an epic 143 minutes, includes 2,400 animation shots and 1,900 special effects shots. 'I think the director and his amazing team, they pushed all the boundaries,' Yeoh said. 'They created this magical world that I hadn't seen to this level of superb animation before. The intricacies are mind-blowing.' Yeoh also put her stamp of approval on the translation, which she admits is a tricky art. 'With translation, a lot of the times the nuances are lost, right? Because also you have to sync and find the right number of words to say the same thing. And with the Chinese language, especially with the folklores and things like that, the way they say it is very poetic as well. So it is not easy,' she said. 'I think they struck a very good balance of not making it too classical, but also more contemporary.' North American audiences already showed interest in 'Ne Zha 2" earlier this year, when the subtitled version earned over $20 million. Some Chinese communities in the U.S. even rented theaters to screen the film. Now, Yeoh believes that the English version will help it resonate globally. 'It's such a universal language of family, of love, of the underdog, of someone who's ostracized, misunderstood just because you're born different,' Yeoh said. 'It immerses you into our culture. And it's such a beautiful way to cross that bridge.'
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Michelle Yeoh brings Chinese blockbuster 'Ne Zha 2' to life in English dub
When Michelle Yeoh first saw 'Ne Zha 2' in Hong Kong, she walked away dreaming about a dubbed version. The Chinese blockbuster, which this year became the highest-grossing animated film of all time with over $2.2 billion in ticket sales, had seemed to her like an ideal movie for a global, all-ages audience. But even she, who had the benefit of knowing Mandarin, was having trouble keeping up with the subtitles and all the spectacular things happening on screen. How would a kid stand a chance? The Oscar winner, who is fluent in English, Malay and Cantonese, wasn't alone in thinking a dub was a good idea. The film studio A24 was already making plans to broaden the audience with an English-language version in collaboration with CMC Pictures. Not too long after, Yeoh got a call asking if she wanted to voice Ne Zha's mother, Lady Yin. Her response? 'Hell yes,' she told The Associated Press in a recent interview. The English-language dub opens in over 2,500 North American theaters on Aug. 22. The film tells the story of a rebellious little child, Ne Zha, born as the reincarnation of a demon to mortal parents, who is out to prove his fate is not predetermined. In the first film, he sacrifices himself. In the second, he's put to the test to try to save his friend and his village. Don't worry if you haven't seen the first either — the sequel tells the audience everything they need to know. And while this character might be new to American audiences, the mythology is well known in China. Yeoh grew up watching various TV and movie versions, but had never seen it done so vividly. The making of 'Ne Zha 2' took five years and required the work of some 4,000 people from 138 Chinese animation companies. The finished film, which runs an epic 143 minutes, includes 2,400 animation shots and 1,900 special effects shots. 'I think the director and his amazing team, they pushed all the boundaries,' Yeoh said. 'They created this magical world that I hadn't seen to this level of superb animation before. The intricacies are mind-blowing.' Yeoh also put her stamp of approval on the translation, which she admits is a tricky art. 'With translation, a lot of the times the nuances are lost, right? Because also you have to sync and find the right number of words to say the same thing. And with the Chinese language, especially with the folklores and things like that, the way they say it is very poetic as well. So it is not easy,' she said. 'I think they struck a very good balance of not making it too classical, but also more contemporary.' North American audiences already showed interest in 'Ne Zha 2" earlier this year, when the subtitled version earned over $20 million. Some Chinese communities in the U.S. even rented theaters to screen the film. Now, Yeoh believes that the English version will help it resonate globally. 'It's such a universal language of family, of love, of the underdog, of someone who's ostracized, misunderstood just because you're born different,' Yeoh said. 'It immerses you into our culture. And it's such a beautiful way to cross that bridge.'
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
'Ne Zha 2' is one of the biggest movies of all time. Here's what you need to know.
If you're American, it's likely that you haven't yet heard of "Ne Zha II." Michelle Yeoh is ready to change that. The Hollywood icon, who won the best actress Oscar for 2022's "Everything Everywhere All at Once," has lent her voice to an English-language dub of the Chinese animated phenomenon. Based on a centuries-old Chinese legend, the movie is a follow-up to 2019's "Ne Zha," which made more than $700 million worldwide. The sequel similarly follows a rebellious boy named Ne Zha who is born with demonic powers and feared by the gods. But when an ancient force threatens to destroy humanity, he must choose to use his abilities for good or evil. Yeoh, 63, was first introduced to the story when she was 6 or 7 growing up in Malaysia. "I used to love mythology and Ne Zha was very popular," she recalls. "For me, it was exciting, because he was a demigod who could just zip across the skies with his fiery wheels. And he was sassy. All the kids were like, 'Yeah, I can be tough and strong, too! I won't let anybody bully me!' " Here's what you need to know about the movie that's taking the world by storm: Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox Where can I watch 'Ne Zha 2?' The movie will be released in U.S. theaters nationwide on Aug. 22, 2025. Is 'Ne Zha 2' in English? Although the original 'Ne Zha II' was in Mandarin, the version that is being released in America will be in English. Yeoh ('Crazy Rich Asians') leads the English-language cast as Ne Zha's fiercely loving mother, Lady Yin, while Vincent Rodriguez III ('Crazy Ex-Girlfriend') plays his dad, Li Jing. Meanwhile, Crystal Lee ('Marvel Rivals') voices the role of the unstoppable Ne Zha. How much has 'Ne Zha 2' made at the box office? According to the film's U.S. distributor A24, 'Ne Zha II' has so far netted $2.2 billion globally. That makes it the most successful animated movie and the highest-grossing non-English language film of all time, as well as the fifth highest-grossing movie in history worldwide. 'The international success truly underscores how global the industry has become,' says Shawn Robbins, founder and owner of Box Office Theory. 'The growing appeal of films like 'Ne Zha II' made outside Hollywood shows the potential for (international) movies, which previously performed mostly within the confines of local markets.' Adds Yeoh: "This is an important movie because it is creating that global cultural bridge. We need more stories from different parts of the world. It's a fact that in America, they love K-dramas, K-pop (and) Japanese groups." She hopes U.S. audiences will embrace "Ne Zha II," because it's "telling the story of a culture you don't know, but in such a contemporary way." How long is 'Ne Zha 2?' The movie is 2 hours and 23 minutes. What is 'Ne Zha 2' rated? The film is not rated. Aside from some crude humor, as well as one scene of a family in emotional distress, the action-packed adventure is suitable for most kids, who will love the spunky young hero and eye-popping visuals. Will there be a 'Ne Zha 3?' According to the newspaper China Daily, Chinese studio Beijing Enlight Pictures is moving forward with 'Ne Zha III.' The company's chairman, Wang Changtian, says that writer and director Jiao Zi is in deep development on the ambitious follow-up film, which could take up to five years to complete. Why is 'Ne Zha' so popular? In addition to its hefty box-office tally, "Ne Zha II" is also a critical hit with 97% positive reviews on aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes. Yeoh believes that the film has exploded in part because of its "spectacular" animation, which "literally just takes your breath away," she says. But even more so, it brings together different generations of moviegoers by telling "a very old tale with the heart and humor of today." "The younger generation sometimes feels like they're misunderstood; there's that rage inside them," Yeoh says. To see a character like Ne Zha defy fate, and declare that he has the right to live and choose for himself, "I think that resonates with a lot of us. It's so inspiring to see."
