International
Box Office: Chinese Animated 'Ne Zha 2' Becomes The First Film To Gross $1 Billion In A Single Market
BY SUNIT JANGIR
Mumbai, February 8 - The mega blockbuster Chinese animated sequel Ne Zha 2 has done the unthinkable and entered uncharted box office territory by becoming the first film ever to score a $1 billion gross collection at the China box office. ## The direct sequel to the 2019 film Ne Zha, Ne Zha 2's running gross collection is $989+ million (RMB 7.2 billion) as of 9 PM local China time on its 11th day (Saturday). The film is likely to enter the $1 billion club at the end of the day and by the first hour of its 12th day, second Sunday. ## Before unlocking the billion club at the China box office, Ne Zha 2 scripted history on Saturday by becoming the highest-grossing movie ever in a single market, beating the Hollywood blockbuster 2015's Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens which grossed $936.7 million in North America. ## Ne Zha 2 has been running riot since its opening during the Chinese New Year weekend on January 29. Earlier, it set the single-film box office record for the Lunar New Year in China box office history and also outgrossed The Battle at Lake Changjin (RMB 5.77 billion) in just 9 days to become the biggest grosser in China. ## The film's lifetime box office projection has been on the rise with its sensational day-wise trend. According to Maoyan, Ne Zha 2 can rise to $1.48 billion or RMB 10.8 billion at the domestic box office and this might change further depending on the progress. ## Stay tuned...