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Los lanzamientos más destacados en cines y plataformas de streaming. © Diamond Films, Bteam Pictures & Sony Pictures

Junio arranca a tope con la Fiesta del Cine para ir calentando motores ante la avalancha de estrenos que nos espera. Después del exitazo de mayo con Lilo & Stitch y Misión imposible: Sentencia final, llegan más blockbusters y pelis para todos los gustos: otro live action, esta vez de Cómo entrenar a tu dragón; el spin-off de John Wick con Ana de Armas (sacando todas sus armas); el esperado regreso del universo zombi de Danny Boyle; o el gran estreno español del mes que, con permiso de Santiago Segura y su taquillera Padre no hay más que uno, es Sirat, la película que lo petó en Cannes. Y si eres fan del combo sofá + peli, no te pierdas la primera película animada de Predator o a Julianne Moore encubriendo un crimen de Sydney Sweeney.

Un niño demonio criado por humanos. © Adso Films

Adso Films, en alianza con Trinity CineAsia, ha anunciado que estrenará en cines la película Ne Zha 2, fenómeno absoluto del cine oriental contemporáneo.

Inspirada en la mitología china y basada en la novela del siglo XVI titulada Investidura de los dioses, escrita por Xu Zhonglin, Ne Zha 2 retoma la historia de un niño demonio criado entre mortales. En esta secuela –por cierto: puede disfrutarse sin haber visionado la anterior–, Ne Zha forja una insólita alianza con el príncipe dragón Ao Bing en una batalla épica para proteger a sus clanes.

Puede que no te suene demasiado su nombre, pero esta odisea fantástica, escrita y dirigida por Yang Yu, debutó en China el pasado 29 de enero, coincidiendo estratégicamente con las celebraciones del Año Nuevo lunar, y desde entonces ha recaudado más de 2.000 millones de dólares, convirtiéndose en la película de animación...

After several sun-kissed days, Beijing brought out the stars on Saturday night as Lilja Ingolfsdottir’s debut feature, Norwegian marital drama Loveable, won the best feature film honor, plus three additional awards, at a closing ceremony full of Chinese stars and music that wrapped up the 15th edition of the Beijing International Film Festival on a high.

With director Ingolfsdottir not in attendance, it was up to her star Helga Guren to collect not only the best actress award but also the other honors.

Iván Fund’s The Message left the evening with three Tiantan Awards, while Chinese filmmaker Sagara’s Trapped picked up honors in two categories.

Other award winners included Noëlle Bastin and Baptiste Bogaert’s Vitrival – The Most Beautiful Village in the World, Hao Ming and Li Peiran’s Better Me, Better You, and Nawi: Dear Future Me, directed by Tobias Schmutzler, Kevin Schmutzler, Apuu Mourine,...

Chinese actor-director Jiang Wen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Let the Bullets Fly) shared his take on new technologies, his approach to adapting novels, and his experience with acting, among a wide range of issues, during a jam-packed masterclass at the 15th edition of the Beijing International Film Festival on Friday.

Naturally, the continued technological development and its effect came up during the conversation. “Why should we refuse the further evolution of new technologies,” especially if “good content, good stories” are still being told, which is the key, he replied. With film, “it is the story that you tell” that counts.

In a different context, though, he encouraged the audience to take a break from one form of technology, mobile phones. Jiang received a huge superstar ovation, including loud cheers and a wave of mobile phone snapshots after the doors to the venue were opened to welcome him in,...

Ne Zha, a mischievous underdog, has put a spell not only on China and its box office but also on other parts of the globe. Enlight Pictures’ Ne Zha 2 recently topped the $2 billion box office milestone to become the world’s highest-grossing animated hit of all time.

It comes as no surprise then that the 15th edition of the Beijing International Film Festival, which runs through April 26, has scheduled events to celebrate the huge success, including a special exhibition of hand-painted posters.

Ne Zha is an imaginative twist on Chinese mythology and a famous 16th-century novel. In the 2019 original, the namesake hero is born an underdog and the reincarnation of a demon. And he must overcome his fate to save his village. In the sequel, Ne Zha faces new trials as he challenges the corrupt gods and demons who oversee the heavens.

On Thursday, The Hollywood Reporter had a...

Virtually unknown in the west, Ne Zha 2 is the world’s highest-grossing animation at £1.6bn – outdoing Inside Out 2 – just weeks after its release

Just a few years ago, the biggest star of the Chinese box office was a brave army commander. Last year it was a woman who rediscovers herself through boxing. But in 2025 the hero that has caught everyone’s attention – and broken international box office records – is an animated demon child.

Ne Zha 2, a Chinese animation written and directed by Yang Yu, is a whirlwind of a film. The plot, inspired by Chinese mythology, follows the story of Ne Zha, a demon child raised by humans. He is on a quest to obtain a precious elixir to restore the physical state of his friend, the dragon prince Ao Bing, whose body has been destroyed by a lightning strike.

China’s animated mega-blockbuster Ne Zha 2 is heading to Europe. Distributor Trinity CineAsia has acquired theatrical rights to the film from Beijing Enlight Media for 37 territories across the continent, including the U.K., Germany, France, Spain and more. The film will open in the U.K. and Ireland on March 21, with previews beginning March 14. Other European releases will soon follow, the distributor says.

Ne Zha 2 is already the highest-grossing animated film in movie history. Since its release over Chinese New Year in January, it has earned $2.06 billion at home in China (Pixar’s Inside Out 2 is history’s second-biggest animated film, with $1.7 billion in worldwide ticket revenue). In North America, Ne Zha 2 opened Feb 14 and has earned $18.8 million — tiny compared to the China total, but far better than most Chinese commercial blockbusters fare in the West.

Ne Zha 2 is an imaginative twist on Chinese mythology and a famous 16th-century novel.

UK-based, pan-European distributor Trinity CineAsia has acquired theatrical rights from Beijing Enlight Media for record-breaking Chinese animation Ne Zha 2 across 37 territories, including the UK, Ireland, Germany, France and Spain.

The film has grossed more than $2Bn, overtaking Inside Out 2, and ranking sixth among the highest-grossing films worldwide, behind Avatar, Avatar: The Way Of Water, Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Titanic.

A theatrical release in UK and Ireland has been set for March 21 with previews from March 14. Other European releases will follow with theatrical outings expected for France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Benelux and Scandinavian territories. Trinity CineAsia managing director Cedric Behrel told Deadline that he plans to give the film a theatrical release in as many other European territories as possible.

It’s understood that streaming rights for the film are being negotiated separately. Four Hong Kong companies – Intercontinental Film Distributors, Emperor Motion Pictures, Mandarin Films...

Joy has turned to Sadness for Disney and Pixar alike now that “Frozen 2,” “The Lion King,” and “Inside Out 2” have each been surpassed at the global box office, one after the other, by “Ne Zha 2,” a Chinese sequel that’s just become the highest-grossing animated film of all time.

The 2019 original grossed a respectable $726 million worldwide, making it the 31st most successful animation ever made. However, director Yang Yu (also known as Jiaozi) has easily doubled that with his follow-up, released in China over the Lunar New Year. That’s not all though. After crossing the record-breaking $1 billion milestone in less than two weeks, “Ne Zha 2” is already approaching $1.9 billion in China alone. With no sign of slowing down, that means “Ne Zha 2” is on track to gross $2 billion in one single market, making it the first film to ever do so in box office history.

Somewhat quietly, cinematic history has been made. The Chinese blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" has been on an absolute tear in its native country for just under three weeks now, demolishing just about every box office record there is to be broken in China. Now, it's coming for global records too, and it just passed a big one. Amazingly enough, "Inside Out 2" is no longer the highest-grossing animated film in history.

Just five months after "Inside Out 2" passed 2019's "The Lion King" remake at the box office to firmly become the biggest animated movie ever, its reign as the champion of animation is over. According to Reuters, "Ne Zha 2" has passed $1.69 billion globally, just barely edging out Pixar's blockbuster sequel. "Inside Out 2" made, more precisely, $1.698 billion during its run last year and was sitting pretty as the eighth biggest movie ever globally. It's now going to...

Ne Zha 2, the fantasy epic that’s been setting records in China, opened to $7.2 million on 660 screens, according to Comscore, for the no. 5 spot at a domestic box office being trounced by Captain America: Brave New World.

The animated film from Cmc Pictures, see Deadline review, takes up where the 2019 original left off as Demon Orb Ne Zha (voiced by Joseph) and Spirit Orb Aobing (Mo Han) must share a body for seven days as Ne Zha battles dragons to save his hometown, and a lot more. Written and directed by Yang Yu (known as Jiaozi), the cast also includes Jiaming Zhang and Deshun Wang. It set an all-time record box office record during the annual Lunar New Year holiday and has passed $1.5 billion in China alone, making it the second-biggest animated film in global box office history after Inside Out 2.

Becoming Led Zeppelin from Sony Pictures Classics...

Universal Language, the original and quietly funny Oscar-shortlisted Cannes and TIFF premiering feature by Canadian filmmaker Matthew Rankin debuts on one screen each in New York and LA. Chinese animated juggernaut Ne Zha 2 opens Stateside and Oscar Nominated Shorts are back for a 20th season. Sony Picture Classics’ Becoming Led Zeppelin expands to 1,039 locations from 369 Imax screens and IFC Films jumps Armand to 230 theaters from two. Oscar contenders continue to populate screens.

Oscilloscope’s Universal Language quite likes this window with the Academy Awards a few weeks away. In a crowded market, “this date is great. Once the ceremony comes and goes, there is a rotation of films out of theaters,” says theatrical distribution chief Andrew Carlin.

He calls Rankin a great actor and filmmaker with a particular sense of style and Universal Language a film with “a strangeness to it that defies classification” — a plus for Oscilloscope.

Rankin returned the compliment.

The Chinese animated movie ‘Ne Zha 2’ has made history, earning over 7 billion Rmb (around $960.5 million) in China alone. This makes it the highest-grossing film ever in a single market, beating the previous record set by ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,’ which earned $936.7 million in North America. ‘Ne Zha 2’ has been a huge success since its release during the Lunar New Year period (January 28 – February 4) and continues to set new records.

The film broke the record for the biggest box office during the holiday season in China’s history. Just this past Thursday, it passed ‘The Battle at Lake Changjin’ to become China’s all-time highest-grossing movie.

As of now, ‘Ne Zha 2’ is still going strong, and experts predict it will soon reach 1 billion dollars in China, making it the first film to achieve this in a single market. Some forecasts are even predicting that the movie could...

A Chinese animated film has made history by breaking worldwide box office records, earning an unprecedented $960.5 million in its home market and positioning itself to become the first film to cross $1 billion in a single country.

“Ne Zha 2,” directed by Yang Yu, has surpassed the previous record set by “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens” during its remarkable performance over the Lunar New Year holiday period. Industry tracking service Maoyan now predicts the film could reach a total of $1.48 billion in China alone.

The movie follows the magical adventures of Ne Zha and his friend Aobing, who face an existential crisis that threatens humanity. As their physical forms begin to dissolve, they must work with an immortal character to reconstruct their bodies and battle sea monsters.

This breakthrough comes at a critical time for China’s cinema industry. While 2024 saw a 25% decline in box office earnings, the...

With today’s running business included, Chinese blockbuster Ne Zha 2 has topped Rmb 7B ($960.5M) in China, far and away setting a new record for the biggest gross ever by a film in a single market worldwide. In reaching the milestone, this animated sequel overtakes 2015’s Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens which was long the title holder for highest gross in a single market, that being $936.7M from North America.

Ne Zha 2 has been on a tear since it released during the Lunar New Year corridor in China (January 28-February 4). It set the single-film box office record for the holiday in the market’s history, and this past Thursday surpassed The Battle at Lake Changjin to become China’s biggest film ever.

The next record to fall will be when Ne Zha 2 soon hits $1B in China, thereby becoming the only film ever to...

Chinese animated feature Ne Zha 2 has flown past $900m (RMB6.48bn) at the local box office to become the country’s biggest film of all time.

After opening on January 29, the first day of Chinese New Year, the fantasy adventure feature took only eight days to reach $823.45m (RMB6bn) on February 6.

It has toppled previous record holders including 2021 epic The Battle At Lake Changjin ($802m/RMB5.77bn), 2017’s Wolf Warriors 2 ($790.8m/RMB5.69bn) and 2021’s Hi, Mom ($751.8m/RMB5.4bn).

The film is still holding strong after the week-long Chinese New Year holidays and is set to reach...

The Chinese box office hit a record high over Lunar New Year with animation Ne Zha 2 and prequel Detective Chinatown 1900 helping deliver a total gross of more than $1.1bn (RMB8bn) over six days from January 29 to February 3

The Year of the Snake made a strong start last Wednesday (January 29), the first day of the holidays, with takings of $250m (RMB1.8bn), up 35% on 2024 and the biggest single day gross ever in China – beating the previous record of $235m (RMB1.69bn) from 2021.

Six new local titles were released over the period and the total gross is expected to...