There are some records that are seen untouchable, and the astronomical domestic box office haul of Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, which stands at $936.7 million, looked to be one destined not to be beaten anywhere in the world as the highest ever domestic haul for a theatrical release. Now, that record has surprisingly fallen to the Chinese box office, where the blockbuster movie Ne Zha 2 has just passed RMB 7B, or in U.S. money, $960.5 million, making it the new highest grossing domestic release for a single market in the world.
The Star Wars franchise's impressive total is one that has stood against challenges from Avengers movies and the Avatar franchise, which stand as the highest grossing movies of all time thanks to impressive overseas volumes as much as their domestic performance. However, Ne Zha 2 was released during the Lunar New Year celebration and took less than a week to become the biggest Chinese release of all time. As the film gets ready for release in the U.S. on February 14 via CMC, it is looking to become the only movie to ever surpass $1 billion at the Chinese box office.
Ne Zha 2 is "loosely based on a classic Chinese myth and is set after the events of the previous 2019 film. It centers on the titular boy with magical powers and his friend Aobing as their souls are saved, but their physical forms face dissolution. Aided by the immortal Taiyi Zhenren to reconstruct their bodies, the heroes face numerous challenges (including a bevy of sea monsters) as they attempt to overcome a crisis that threatens the existence of humankind."
The China Box Office Has Been Tricky for Hollywood Blockbusters Close
For many years, securing a release in China could add a huge pot of cash to any Hollywood movie, but in recent years, the amount of U.S. movies being allowed a Chinese release has hit a few stumbling blocks. From issues with the inclusion of gay characters and storylines that do not sit with the Chinese values, to blacklisting against some studios, recent years have seen the Chinese box office being dominated by Chinese movies.
There are several movies that have performed well at the Chinese box office despite these problems. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was, unsurprisingly, a big hit in Asian countries, while other movies such as Deadpool & Wolverine and Mufasa: The Lion King have also provided a boost to Hollywood's worldwide box office takings.
Related 10 Changes Made to Movies So They Could Be Released in China
Since the margin for profit in China is so expansive, Hollywood studios will do just about anything to get past their strict censorship laws.
Posts
2025 will be an interesting year, with many huge blockbusters set for release that could really benefit from having a good release overseas. With China's market being understandably massive, Disney in particular will be hoping that movies such as Superman, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Avatar: Fire and Ash can secure strong releases in the country. Meanwhile, who knows, maybe one of the future Star Wars movies will be able to reclaim the title as the highest grossing domestic release when they finally make it to screens. However, the painful development and production of the upcoming Star Wars slate is causing no end of problems. There is a big question mark hanging over many of the announced movies coming to the franchise in the next few years.
Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Rate Now 0/10 Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens PG-13 Action Adventure Fantasy Sci-Fi Release Date December 17, 2015 Runtime 136 Minutes Director J.J. Abrams Writers Lawrence Kasdan, J.J. Abrams, Michael Arndt Prequel(s) Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi Cast See All Daisy Ridley John Boyega Oscar Isaac Harrison Ford
Sequel(s) Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker Franchise(s) Star Wars Powered by Expand Collapse