There’s only one way to watch Ne Zha 2, the biggest animated movie of all time

Ne Zha 2 has just become the biggest animated movie in box office history – and if you want to watch it, there’s only one way.

If you look at the top 20 highest-grossing movies ever made, there are three animated films: The Super Mario Bros Movie ($1.362 billion), Frozen 2 ($1.452bn), and last year’s Inside Out 2 ($1.524bn).

The latter Pixar sequel vastly exceeded expectations. That’s not to say it isn’t a good movie – but its predecessor made $858 million, so while it was expected to hit the billion-dollar barrier, nobody predicted it would sit atop the cartoon box office throne.

Well, it hasn’t held the top spot for long. As of February 18, 2025, Ne Zha 2 is the highest-grossing animated movie ever.

How to watch Ne Zha 2

Ne Zha 2 is exclusively available to watch in cinemas right now. It arrived in North American theaters on February 14, so you still have time to catch it before it leaves.

Make sure you check showtimes at your local cinema (for example, there are loads of screenings in New York).

Ne Zha 2 first launched in Chinese theaters on January 29, 2025 – the first day of Chinese New Year. In just three days, it reached 1.1 billion yuan ($151,640,500), breaking multiple records in its opening week. Amazingly, it’s now China’s biggest movie of all time, with a haul of over 12 billion yuan ($1.65 billion).

While it never stood a chance of competing against Captain America: Brave New World’s box office takings, it opened with $7.2 million across 660 screens in the US.

Ne Zha 2’s total box office haul now stands at $1.69 billion, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down for the rest of the month.

Where will Ne Zha 2 be streaming?

Beijing Enlight Pictures

Ne Zha 2’s streaming destination is incredibly hard to predict, but there’s a good chance it could end up on a major platform like Netflix, given its box office success.

The first movie is available to stream for free in the US via the Roku Channel and Hoopla (accessible with a library card), and you can buy or rent it digitally through Amazon Prime and other on-demand services.

It seems unlikely that the sequel will have the same streaming fate, but details regarding its home entertainment release (digital or otherwise) haven’t been announced, so stay tuned.

What is Ne Zha 2 about?

Beijing Enlight Pictures

As the title suggests, Ne Zha 2 picks up after the events of its 2019 predecessor, with Ne Zha and Ao Bing sharing one body in the wake of a heavenly lightning strike that almost kills them both.

As the synopsis teases, “after the catastrophe, although the souls of Ne Zha and Ao Bing were saved, their bodies would soon be shattered. Taiyi Zhenren planned to use the seven-colored lotus to rebuild their bodies.”

If they successfully complete Master Wuliang’s ascension trials, they’ll secure a magic potion that will restore the Sacred Lotus and give Ao Bing a new body. Obviously, things don’t go exactly to plan.

As you’re probably already thinking, there’s some pretty dense lore through Ne Zha and its sequel – so, make sure you check out the first movie before you go to the cinema.

Is it worth watching?

Beijing Enlight Pictures

Yes! Ne Zha 2 has a 99% verified audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and it’s received positive reviews from critics.

In Awards Radar’s review, it said, “This franchise could go down in history as one that pushed animation in corners no one imagined and breathed new life in a medium frequently labeled as ‘children’s entertainment.’ If anything, Ne Zha 2 is an excellent reminder to anyone that animation is cinema – and for everyone.”

Deadline also praised the animation, noting that it’s as “graceful as DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda series” and “the myriad creatures should appeal to international fans of fantasy epics like Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings.”

However, it also warned that it can feel a bit “exhausting” as it tries to resolve all of its plot threads, so make sure you’re paying attention.

In the meantime, keep tabs on the year’s releases with our 2025 movies calendar. You should also check out our list of the best movies ever made.