Promotional material of NeZha 2Photo: Courtesy of Wang Jing

Two Chinese animated films with top IPs - "NeZha" and "Boonie Bears" are set to compete with four other domestically produced films in Chinese theaters this MK sportSpring Festival.

As of press time, ticket pre-sales for the two films had grossed 68.21 million yuan ($8.9 million) and 14.9 million yuan respectively, according to Chinese ticketing platform Maoyan.  

NeZha2is the sequel to NeZha, which features a beloved Chinese mythological figure and holds the record for China's highest-grossing animated film. 

Surpassing 5 billion yuan at the box office, the first NeZhafilm, released in 2019, achieved both critical acclaim and box-office success, movie data analyst Lai Li told the Global Times.

Wang Jing, the executive producer of NeZha2, told the Global Times that after a five-year preparation period, the sequel will offer the audience a visual feast, which might help them win big during the film season. 

She revealed that the sequel features more special effects shots than the entire first film. 

The first installment had over 1,800 shots, while the sequel has over 2,400 shots, with over 1,900 of them being special effects shots. 

Additionally, the number of characters in the sequel is three times that of the 2019 installment, and the emotional connections of protagonist Ne Zha and his relationships with those around him are further sublimated in the second offering. 

Wang believes that part of the success behind the 2019 NeZhamovie is the characters' setting. 

The line "My fate is determined by me, not by heaven" said by protagonist Ne Zha widely resonated with many netizens who expressed that it voiced their feelings of yearning for freedom. 

However, Wang stated that this line was not deliberately set but naturally developed according to the plot. In the sequel, the creative team has carefully polished the script, and hopes that more hit catchphrases will capture the hearts of audiences. 

She also said that the team hopes to demonstrate the great capabilities of Chinese animation and fine traditional Chinese culture through NeZha2.

Promotional material ofBoonie Bears: Future Reborn  Photo: Courtesy of Shang Linlin

Global reach is a key

Boonie Bears: Future Rebornis another animation IP in the Spring Festival lineup that should not be underestimated­. 

A family film series, it combines the genre of comedy and sci-fi, earning 1 billion yuan each year since 2022, while the 2024 film Bonnie Bears: Time Twistbrought in 2 billion yuan. 

This year's installment emphasizes "family-friendly" elements, in addition to its comedy feature, Lai noted. 

Shang Linlin, chief producer of the Boonie Bearsseries, told the Global Times that the science fiction elements can open a door to the imagination for children. 

However, after reaching the fifth installment, it indeed feels like time to bid farewell to this series. 

When it comes to the success of Boonie Bears, Shang summarized it as "adhering to the essence while innovating." 

She mentioned that while maintaining the basic characteristics of ­humor and family entertainment of the series, the team has been innovative and kept pace with the times, such as time-space and traveling to the future worlds, which are trendy topics closely related to technological innovation.

The first three installments of Boonie Bearswere released during the winter break, while the fourth installment of the series was moved to the Spring Festival film period, achieving astonishing results, with a global box office total of 2.71 billion yuan. 

The winter break has a roughly two-week window period ahead of the Spring Festival. 

When the Spring Festival starts, cinemas usually reduce the screening schedules for films released during the winter break.

Shang believes that such a great performance is also because the company that produces Boonie Bearshas a mature overseas distribution chain, which is very crucial for the overseas distribution of animated films. 

"The company has established extensive distribution channels and stable cooperative relationships with customers worldwide. The Boonie Bearsseries has not only been released in China but also in many foreign countries, achieving good results," she said.

The Boonie Bearsseries has set the largest distribution scale for Chinese films (not just animated films) in Germany and the UK, while Indian clients have even ­purchased the global streaming rights for the Hindi version of Boonie Bears, according to Shang. 

Keep breaking the 'ceiling'

Both producers stated that these two series have, to a certain extent, broken through the ceiling for domestic Chinese animation. 

According to Shang, in the early days of Boonie Bears, industry insiders believed that the ceiling for animated films was 200 million yuan, yet the first installment garnered 245 million yuan, and later the fourth installment made over 500 million yuan. 

"Now, it can be seen that more ­animated works are ­continuously ­raising the ceiling for Chinese ­animated films, and more varied works are emerging." 

Although these two IPs have achieved good results, industry insiders stated that the development of China's domestic animation industry still has a long way to go, especially in the cultivation of creative talents.

Yang Yu, better known as Jiaozi, who directed the NeZhaseries, told the Global Times that looking back at ­NeZha, it felt very tough at the time, but now those difficulties are no longer issues.

"The increasing number of industry talents will definitely have a promoting effect on the industry," he said.

Wang suggested that the industry should continue to produce more and better commercial works, so that the habit of watching animated films can be embraced by more Chinese moviegoers.