Earlier this year, Chinese animated film “Ne Zha 2” became not just the highest-grossing film of 2025, and the highest-grossing animated film of all time, but one of the biggest films ever; making over $2 billion at the box office, the action-adventure film is the fifth highest-grossing movie ever made, full stop, and the first non-English language film to cross $2 billion. It accomplished all this while going unseen by almost everybody in the United States: while it received a small limited release on February 14, the film otherwise has been relatively inaccessible to see, and the majority of its revenue has come from China alone.
This summer, U.S. audiences will get another chance to see why the film has become a phenomenon. A24 will release an English dub version of “Ne Zha 2” on August 22, the company announced Wednesday. The film will screen in the U.S., Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand theaters, and be presented in IMAX, 3D, and other premium formats.
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“Ne Zha 2” is the sequel to 2019’s “Ne Zha,” which grossed over $700 million upon its initial release. The film franchise, created by director and screenwriter Yang Yu (also credited as Jiaozi), is based on the eponymous Chinese mythological character and draws inspiration from the 16th century novel “Investiture of the Gods.” It follows the young Ne Zha, a reincarnation of a demon orb, who goes on a journey to save the world and prove himself a hero to those who hate and fear him.
A24 is distributing the dub in partnership with CMC Pictures. Michelle Yeoh will be featured in the voice cast, although it has not been announced who she will play. The remaining cast has not been confirmed.
“I’m honored 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 in a statement. “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.”
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