China’s box office remained strong post-Lunar New Year, with “Ne Zha 2” continuing its historic run. The Enlight release earned RMB1.98 billion ($275.3 million) over the Feb. 14–16 weekend, bringing its total to $1.64 billion, according to Artisan Gateway.
The animated epic not only remains the dominant title in the market but is also rewriting record books for Imax. “Ne Zha 2” contributed $22 million to Imax’s weekend total in China, marking a 21% increase from last weekend. The film has now reached $104 million in Imax earnings through Sunday ($106 million through Monday), making it the highest-grossing Imax release in China of all time, surpassing “Avengers: Endgame” ($83.5 million). Globally, it becomes just the 16th title ever to surpass $100 million in Imax gross box office. The film’s $22 million Imax haul over the weekend is now the third-highest third-weekend global performance for a single Imax title, trailing only “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avatar: The Way of Water”, which played in 75-80 markets worldwide.
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“Ne Zha 2” is also poised to overtake “The Lion King” to enter the top 10 highest grossers of all time. It is already the second highest all-time animated grosser behind “Inside Out 2,” which has a lifetime collection of $1.69 billion. With the global rollout for “Ne Zha 2” just beginning, the film is set to continue its climb up the all-time chart.
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In second place, As One Production’s “Detective Chinatown 1900” grossed $26 million over the weekend, pushing its total to $443.8 million. The latest entry in the hit comedy-mystery franchise continues to show staying power despite “Ne Zha 2’s” overwhelming presence in the market.
Marvel made its first box office impact of 2025 in China with “Captain America: Brave New World“, which opened in third place with $10.6 million.
Fantawild Animation’s “Boonie Bears: Future Reborn” added $5.5 million over the weekend, reaching a total of $101.9 million. The long-running animated franchise remains a strong draw for family audiences.
Rounding out the top five, Jet Tone Film’s “In the Mood for Love”, Wong Kar-wai’s 2000 classic, returned to theaters with a $4.8 million weekend debut.
The weekend’s total box office reached $327.9 million, just below last week’s $330 million, bringing China’s 2025 cumulative gross to $2.77 billion, a 95.7% increase compared to the same period last year.
The Lunar New Year slate has also set a new Imax record, with total earnings reaching $121 million through Sunday, nearly double the previous holiday Imax record of $66 million set in 2023. With no signs of slowing down, the continued dominance of “Ne Zha 2” is keeping the momentum strong as China’s theatrical market enjoys one of its most successful starts to a year.
