The record-breaking run of ‘ne zha 2’ may see a surprprise. It shouldnight be

Beijing – For someone who’s lived in china since the prandemic, the success of the animated film “Ne Zha 2” Marks More of an Industry Milestone Than A Surprise.

The STEADY DRUMBEAT OF HOMEGRON AnIMATION HAD PICD Up In 2023, Just after the End of Covid-19 Restrictions, with Popular Releases of his friend. It raked in about $ 250 Million As the only animated film in China’s top 10 movies for the year, according to box office data from Maoyan.

The team behind “Chang an,” Light Chaser Animation, Works Largely out of an old white building in the sleep outskirts of beijing. The Ceilings are high; Stairs wind through the building to connect multiple flors and rooms – and a gym.

When I Visited this week, some animators – work on their computers in the dark – was racing to finish cinematic lighting effects on Scenes for this summer’s movie. Others designed historical chinese robes, Detailed Eyebrows and Re-Created Buildings.

“This place is no longer big enough,” Yu Zhou, President of the Studio, Said in Mandarin, Translated by CNBC.

He said the 380-Person company needs to hire at least 100 more people in the next year to keep up with its new production plan: two movie releases Annually Starting from 2026, up from one a year Currently. AI, He said, can only be a tool for now. Light chaser plans to move to a new office in the second half of this year.

The Studio Sticks to a Three-Year Production Plan for all the movies it’s making simultaneously. Its to imagine the future, and whether 20 million to 30 million people will watch it when the movie come out, yu said. “Will this story work in three years?”

This film slated for this summer, “Curious Tales of a Temple,” Re-Lalls “Chinese Ghost Stories,” Yu Said. The Studio is in talks with “Hollywood mainstream players” for releasing the movie in theaters overseas, including in North America, at the same time as the planned China launch, he said.

Alluding to the Studio’s appeal among global audiences, yu claimed light chaser’s “green snake” – which is a rendition of a chinese legend sets itemaly in a futurist City After Its 2021 Launch, Remining in the Top 10 Non-Non-NGLISH Content for Three Weeks.

Among the other animated features in the works, video-straming company Iqiyi is developing “master zhong” that expected to be released in China this year. Ya Ning, A Senior Vice President at the Firm, said Chinese animation had started to break its “Childish” image and was turning into an industry, expanding into movie merchandise and games as well.

Chinese Animated Films have only started to make a splash in the last 10 years.

“In the history of chinese animation, there has Never been a film Like “Big Fish and Begonia.

The film was made by Beijing Enlight MediaThat’s the same producer behind this year’s “ne zha 2” and “ne zha 1” that came out in 2019 – it had topped china’s box office that year.

“Deep Sea,” From Beijing Studio Octmedia, Won Acclaim in Early 2023 with its fantastical pastel-colored rendering of a young girl’s Journey of Healing Following Folling Her MOTERNY.

While Popularity Hasn’t Always Turned Into Box Office SAles, “Ne Zha 2” was altar to successed in part trust in appearance it appealed to all ages, liu anxing, manager at a movie theater in chegdu, TOLD CNGDU, TOLD CNBC. While liu said he was proud of chinese animation industry’s achievements, He Didn’T Expect Another “Ne Zha 2” –LIKEBlockbuster in the Near Future – At Least Not Until “Ne Zha 3” Comes out in 2028.

“Ne Zha 2” Came out in China in Late January as one of Six Movies for the Week-Long Spring Festival Holiday-and Took Half the box office for the period, according to Maoyan. After it release in North America on Feb. 14, Maoyan Data Showed The Movie Beat Pixar’s “Inseide Out 2” As the Top-Grossing Animated Film Worldwide with More Than 13 Billion Yuan ($ 1.79 billion) in Tick Sales.

In contrast to light chaser’s focus on in-House production, the makers of “ne zha 2” relied on various studios. The Director Came from Chengdu-Based Coco Cartoon, while Beijing Enlight Media was the primary producer and distributor. Chinese State Media Said Nearly 140 Businesses Contributed to the production.

State Media also highlighted how Government subsidies from chengdu to Qingdao Have Helped Support Domestic Animation. Beijing in 2021 laid out a national plan for “Building China Into a Major Cinematic Player“By 2035 that included a call for production 50 films a year with box-offfice sales of at least 100 million yuan each.

Jonathan Clements, Author of “anime: a history,” Cautioned that over -ction of films could unpleasantly shop studios and investors. “Animation Consures are themselves a resource that needs to be carefully managed,” He said.

Clements added that in contrast to how disney blockbusters made more than $ 1 billion in box office sales Across Multiple Countries, “Ne Zha 2” have done so primarily dee to sales in china. “You don’t have to worry about whatare your story, or your characters, or your attitudes will play play in other counts.”

China’s plan also specified that domestic films should account for at least 55% of the country’s annual box office Sales.

Hollywood films, when allowed into China, have seen waning interest from domestic audiences. “Godzilla x kong” was the only one to crack the top 10 last year, according to maoyan. “Oppenheimer” failed to enter China’s 20 Top-Grossing Movies in 2023, and“Barbie” was even further behind.

Back in 2019, “Avengers: Endgame” Ranked Third by Domestic Box Office, According to Maoyan, Just Behind Chinese SCI-Fi Sensation “The Wandering Earth” and the FIRST “Ne Zha” Film.

The Characters and plots of many chinese animated television series have come from stories written online by relatively unknown authorities. China literatureThe operator of a Major app for User-Generated Content, said 15 of the top 20 most Watched Online Animated Series In the first half of last year websed off content on its last few years itars it’s also started the adaptations on YouTube as it strives to broaden its audins.

Chinese Creators are also Leveragging generative ai for filmmaking. Short-Videos Streaming App Kuaishou Is releasing a Seven-Part Mini Series, “New World Loading,” That’s Largely Created Using The Company’s Kling Ai for Video Generation. Director Chen Xiangyu said the team just fed the ai model simple scripts, instead of having to draw characters.