Anticipated "Ne Zha" sequel joins China's star-studded 2025 Spring Festival lineup

"Ne Zha 2," the highly anticipated follow-up to the 2019 animated blockbuster "Ne Zha," has secured its release for the 2025 Spring Festival holiday, debuting on Lunar New Year's Day, Jan. 29.

The announcement, made via the film's official Weibo account on Tuesday, was accompanied by a promotional video featuring a battle-ready Ne Zha, signaling the beloved character's triumphant comeback.

Directed by Yang Yu, who refers to himself as Jiaozi, the film is the culmination of a five-year effort to build on the monumental success of the original "Ne Zha." The 2019 release proved a cultural phenomenon, grossing over 5 billion yuan (695 million U.S. dollars) to become China's highest-grossing animated film of all time.

The sequel joins an already formidable lineup for the 2025 Spring Festival, which includes Tsui Hark's adaptation of Louis Cha's wuxia classic "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," Wuershan's epic fantasy sequel "Creation of the Gods II," and the family-friendly "Boonie Bears: Future Reborn," the latest installment in this long-running animated franchise.

The week-long Spring Festival holiday, running from Jan. 28 to Feb. 4 in 2025, is traditionally China's most lucrative moviegoing window. The 2024 holiday set the bar high -- with four Spring Festival releases among the top five earners of the year to date. ■