'Ne Zha 2' premieres in Hong Kong as box office surges

HONG KONG -- The much-awaited Chinese mainland's animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" premiered on Tuesday night in Hong Kong and was scheduled to officially hit Hong Kong theaters on Saturday.

A sequel to the 2019 hit "Ne Zha 1," "Ne Zha 2" continues to build on the beloved Chinese mythology surrounding the character and has been celebrated as a milestone for Chinese animation. It has already garnered significant attention in both Hong Kong and Macao, breaking records for the number of distributors and daily screenings for a Chinese mainland film in Hong Kong.

"We are honored to bring this world-class, phenomenon-level animation to Hong Kong and Macao, allowing viewers to experience the charm of Ne Zha in theaters," said a representative with Emperor Motion Pictures, a co-distributor of the film, hoping that "Ne Zha 2" will be loved here as much as in the Chinese mainland.

Since its release in the Chinese mainland during the Chinese New Year, "Ne Zha 2" has proved a smashing success at the box office, with total earnings worldwide, including pre-sales, surpassing 12.3 billion Chinese yuan ($1.72 billion) as of Tuesday evening.

This figure positions the film ahead of "Inside Out 2," making it the highest-grossing animated film globally.