The film, based on the story of Ne Zha, a well-known deity in Chinese folklore, follows the rebellious young boy's journey of growth. Photo: Supplied
Highly successful Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2 is coming to New Zealand in August with an English-language version.
The film, based on the story of Ne Zha, a well-known deity in Chinese folklore, follows the rebellious young boy's journey of growth.
Ne Zha is feared by the gods and born to mortal parents with wild and uncontrolled powers.
He must grow up to become the hero the world needs when confronted by an ancient force intent on destroying humanity.
Ne Zha 2 is the highest-grossing animated film of all time, the highest-grossing non-English language film ever and already ranks as the fifth highest-grossing film overall.
Written and directed by filmmaker Yang Yu, it follows the first movie, which was also developed by Yang and released in 2019.
Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh will star in 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," Yeoh said.
"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."
Ne Zha 2 is the highest-rated animated film of the year on Rotten Tomatoes and one of the highest-rated films of 2025 on Letterboxd.
It will be screened in IMAX and 3D in New Zealand from 28 August.
