Chongqing - The Chinese animated blockbuster Ne Zha 2 has broken multiple box office records, becoming the first film to surpass $1 billion in a single market and the first non-Hollywood film to enter the exclusive billion-dollar club.

According to the Chinese ticketing platform Maoyan Pro data (as of 6:30 PM on February 12), Ne Zha 2 grossed over 9.5 billion yuan within 15 days of its release. It has surpassed “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” to become the first Asian film to enter the global box office top 25.

The credits highlight the contributions of 138 animation companies and thousands of staff, including 10 minutes of animation created by Chongqing Keku Digital Technology and its parent company, Chengdu Qianniao Culture.

The film is still of Ne Zha 2. (Photo/Douban)

Li Yanlei, digital manager of Chongqing Keku Digital Technology, stated that their work included several important scenes: Ne zha’s conversation with Shen Gongbao, the monsters trapped in the magma beneath the deep-sea dragon palace, and the moments leading up to Shen Xiaobao’s death.

The production of Shen Gongbao took three months to finish. (Photo/Keku Digital)

Li explained that the technical iteration includes significant updates in software usage and more refined production details. He believes that compared to similar international works, Chinese animation has progressed from being far behind to being on par. "Although some differences still exist, they are no longer significant," he added.

Li Yanlei, the digital manager of Chongqing Keku Digital Technology Co., Ltd. (Photo/Keku Digital)

Cao Xianhao, a model training teacher at the company who has worked on two Ne Zha films, noted that Ne Zha 2 saw significant technical improvements over Ne Zha 1 (2018). According to Cao, more advanced 3D modeling techniques were employed for scene construction, and new lighting and shadow effects were utilized, adding depth and atmosphere to the visuals and enhancing the overall viewing experience.

Chongqing Jingchen Animation Design Company also contributed to the film, particularly in the underwater dragon palace scene. They were primarily responsible for the grand and detailed visuals, including the palace ruins and the underwater purgatory with rolling magma.

The Chongqing Keku Digital Technology Co., Ltd. team worked on the animation production of Ne Zha 2. (Photo/Keku Digital)

"We received the task in 2023, and over 10 animators worked on it," said Mo Jinfeng, manager of Jingchen Animation. "It took us three months to complete the materials, three times longer than expected. Every detail was challenging." 

Despite the challenges they faced, the team couldn't help but feel a thrill when watching the film. They all agreed that the plot, technology, and other elements had made a significant leap, contributing greatly to the global recognition of Chinese animation.

The production company stated that Ne Zha 2 will debut in Australia, New Zealand, and other regions on February 13 and in the United States and Canada on February 14.