Chinese animation film ranks high in Australia and New Zealand box offices

China's animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2 continues to make waves at the international box office, with its latest rankings in Australia and New Zealand further boosting its success in Oceania.

The fantasy adventure film rose to second place in New Zealand's weekend total box office list by Sunday, according to the country's industry tracker Numero.

In Australia, the film took the third spot with at least A$1,504,128 ($948,879) in takings from the weekend.

READ MORE: Ne Zha 2 tops global box office of animated films

James Curtis, a humanities undergraduate in Sydney, who watched the movie, said he was impressed by its storyline and animation.

"I can understand why local and foreign moviegoers crowded the cinema for this," said the 20-year-old. "I do want to know more about these aspects of Chinese culture. It definitely helps build better understanding across our peoples."

Ne Zha 2, the sequel to the 2019 animation based on the eponymous childlike Chinese folk deity, recorded its second straight weekend as the third-highest-grossing feature in Australian cinemas, reaping more than A$5.2 million in the country, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

Hong Yanyan, a researcher of communication and media studies at the University of Adelaide, told China Daily that the film "breathes fresh life into traditional Chinese mythology and philosophy in a way that feels both modern and rooted" in Chinese culture.

"The box office success of Ne Zha 2 shows that audiences, both Chinese and non-Chinese, are open to stories that reflect different cultural perspectives," Hong said.

"It's not just about nostalgia or national pride; it's about storytelling that feels universal while staying true to its roots."

She added that social media and streaming services have also played a significant role in the film's impact.

"This is an exciting time for Chinese animation and storytelling in general. As long as filmmakers continue to innovate while staying authentic to their cultural heritage, I think we'll see more and more Chinese stories making an impact worldwide," Hong said.

Ne Zha 2 was officially released in four Oceania countries — Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, on Feb 13.

The Chinese embassy in Fiji held an event for audiences to view the film on Saturday, amid celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Fiji.

Nearly 400 people, including local and Chinese officials, politicians, diplomats, overseas Chinese and Fijian citizens attended the event, according to an embassy statement.

'Visual feast'

Zhou Jian, China's ambassador to Fiji, said in a speech that Ne Zha 2 brings "a visual feast of Chinese traditional culture to the world".

"As this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Fiji, we hope that the two countries will carry forward Ne Zha's spirit of bravery and hard work to create a bright future for the China-Fiji relationship," he added.

A diplomat from the embassy in Fiji told China Daily that impressed audiences remained glued to the screen for the post-credit scene of the film.

On the other hand, experts also noted the challenges the film encountered in the overseas markets.

ALSO READ: Success of Ne Zha 2 sparks hunt for ancient artifacts in nation's museums

Zhi Feina, a professor at the Chinese National Academy of Arts, said that Ne Zha 2 has not reached many foreign moviegoers who are more accustomed to watching films dubbed in English.

Compared to director Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Zhang Yimou's Hero, the top-grossing Chinese films in North America, Ne Zha 2's cultural backdrop, involving Taoist knowledge, may pose a challenge in engaging more foreign moviegoers.

Lynn Wu, a 43-year-old Chinese immigrant in Brisbane, Australia, recalled that she took her children to watch Ne Zha 2 in the opening week but found that it had limited screenings in nearby cinemas.

"We hope such an excellent Chinese film could have more promotions so that more locals could know about the movie," she said.

Contact the writers at xinxin@chinadaily.com.cn