Inside Out 2has officially lost its spot as the highest-grossing animated film of all time. The Pixar sequel stunned audiences and critics alike in theaters last year when it became the highest-grossing film of 2024,making just under $1.7 billion worldwide. This passed the original’s total by a fair margin and was a higher gross than other extremelysuccessful animated workslikeMinions,Frozen,Frozen II, andThe Super Mario Bros. Movie.
PerReuters,Inside Out 2has officially been dethroned byNe Zha 2. At the time of writing, the 2025 film grossed a total box office of 12.3 billion yuan, equivalent to $1.69 billion. This barely passesInside Out 2’s $1.68 billion. The total has also made it the eighth-highest-grossing film of all time.
What This Means For Ne Zha 2
The Film Has Set Multiple Records
Ne Zha 2becoming the new record holder represents the shortest turnaround in a new film to usurp the previous highest-grossing animated film of all time. BeforeInside Out 2broke the record in 2024, Disney’sFrozen IIwas thehighest-grossing animated film of all timefor nearly five years. Even before that,Frozenheld onto that position for six yearsbefore being overtaken by its own sequel.Finding Nemohad only clung onto it for a short time before being beaten byShrek 2, but even the record was held for a year.
It was the first movie of 2025 to make over $1 billion, a milestone that is typically accomplished during summer.
Ne Zha 2’s success is impressive beyond just the highest-grossing animated film. It wasthe first movie of 2025 to make over $1 billion, a milestone that is typically accomplished during summer. It is also China’s highest-grossing movie of all time and now by a fair margin. Furthermore, it holds the record for the biggest single-market gross, as the vast majority of its ticket sales have come from China. It is also the only movie in the top 20 all-time box office list whose original language is not English.
15 Best Animated Movies Of All Time, Ranked
Animation is a remarkably diverse art form, so the best animated movies of all time encompass comedies, sci-fi, fantasy and many more genres.
CEO of IMAX China, Daniel Manwaring, has recently said that"China was essentially late to the post-COVID world.“To clarify that context, the country delayed the release of a lot of projects, creating about a three-year backlog that they only really started unpacking in 2023. These pandemic-related market closures and slowdowns might make Chinese audiences ready to go back to the movies, partially explaining the wild success ofNe Zha 2. It also helped that the film was released during Chinese New Year (January 29 to February 12), which further contributed to its hype early on by attracting families.
Is Ne Zha 2 Any Good?
The Audience Popcornmeter Is Incredibly High
Most animated movies thatclaim the title of the top-grossing animated film of all time are critically acclaimed. This was true of bothFrozenmovies,Aladdin,Finding Nemo, andThe Lion King. The previous titleholder,Inside Out 2,was regarded as afantastic Pixar sequeland is in contention for Best Animated Feature this year, where it will compete againstFlow,Memoir of a Snail,The Wild Robot, andWallace and Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.
Some general reviewers have come from American audiences since the movie was recently released in North America this past weekend.
The interesting thing aboutNe Zha 2is that critical reviews are not fueling its success. Because of the very China-focused release, there is no Tomatometer available to evaluate on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the film does have over 1,000 verified audience ratings,giving it a Popcornmeter of 99%. Manwaring has praisedNe Zha 2’s technical achievement. He said that the sequel has “the best animation quality China has ever done.” With this lauding of its visual layout, it is no surprise thatthe movie is a huge success in IMAX theaters, where it has made over $100 million.
Our Take On Ne Zha 2’s Box Office Record
Ne Zha 2 Could Become The Highest-Grossing Movie Of 2025
Ne Zha 2’s box office success is unprecedented, especially given its lack of commitment to a multinational rollout. The firstNe Zhafilm had a significant profit, but its $726.2 million gross pales in comparison to its sequel. Its success is great news for the Chinese market as it experiences its post-COVID recovery. Based on its current box office sum,Ne Zha 2has a decent chance of becoming the highest-grossing film at the box office in 2025, though somehighly anticipated releases likeAvatar: Fire and Ashare coming later in the year.
Ne Zha 2is now available in theaters in the United States.
Inside Out 2
Cast
Inside Out 2 is the sequel to the 2015 original film, which starred a young girl named Riley with a head full of emotions. - literally. With Amy Pohler as Joy, Bill Hader as fear, Mindy Kaling as Disgust, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, and Lewis Black as Anger, the all-star cast brought to life the emotions that adolescents face as they grow, change, and adapt to new situations. This sequel, currently in development, will bring Amy Pohler back as Joy, with Riley, now a teenager.
Ne Zha 2
Ne Zha 2 continues the story of Ne Zha and Ao Bing as they struggle to preserve their souls and restore their physical forms using the Seven Colored Lotus. Guided by Tai Yi Zhen Ren, they face numerous challenges in their quest, shaping their destinies in unexpected ways.
