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The Star
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Chinese blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" hits screens in Spain
BARCELONA, Spain, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" hit the big screens across Spain on Friday, with a local industry insider saying the film could open a door to Chinese culture for Spanish audiences. The Cines Filmax Gran Via cinema complex in Barcelona is among hundreds of cinemas scheduled to screen the film from Friday through Monday, according to Enlight Media, its film's main producer. "For an ancient culture like that of China, which has a very rich mythology that we don't know, this can open a door to learning about it in an entertaining way," said Camilo Tarrazon, co-CEO of the Cines Filmax Gran Via, in an interview with Xinhua. Based on the 16th-century Chinese mythological novel Investiture of the Gods, the movie tells the story of Ne Zha, a demon child whose adventures uncover a dark conspiracy and trigger a war between the forces of good and evil. "Without doubt, this is a step forward. We live in a world where distances and barriers are falling, and cinema is an industry that can allow us to get to know the culture of a country as important as China," Tarrazon added. A day before the official release, the Barcelona cinema hosted a pre-launch screening of "Ne Zha 2." According to Tarrazon, it marked the first time that a Chinese film in its original version was shown in Spanish cinemas. Produced on a relatively modest budget of 80 million U.S. dollars, "Ne Zha 2" has already become the highest-grossing animated movie of all time. Since its release, the movie has earned more than 2 billion dollars globally, including presales and international revenues, according to film data platform Maoyan.
South China Morning Post
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
What Hong Kong can take away from Ne Zha 2's creative success
As the animated Chinese blockbuster Ne Zha 2 gains widespread attention domestically and internationally, hopes are high that it will be a prime example of a Chinese cultural export. This showcase of Eastern aesthetics embodies the maturity of China's cultural industry and against this backdrop, Hong Kong, once known as the Eastern Hollywood, has a historic opportunity to redefine its cultural soft power. Advertisement Hong Kong cinema has made progress in visual effects, with films like Warriors of Future setting new standards. However, the cultural industry faces a structural imbalance in original intellectual property (IP) development, having relied traditionally on the martial arts novels of Jin Yong and more recently, nostalgic content This limits market growth and fails to meet the diverse needs of younger audiences. Although the Hong Kong brand has found success in IP licensing, the city still lags behind the mainland in IP development and industry transformation; it doesn't have a successful work like Ne Zha 2, which resonates with Generation Z through innovation and emotional power. Although the Hong Kong government has supported the creative sector through schemes like the CreateSmart Initiative, the industry still lacks the global reach and influence necessary to compete with major international markets. Ne Zha 2 was five years in the making, with 138 animation companies across China putting together over 1,900 special effects shots; it is a product of a well-established ecosystem. Advertisement Enlight Media's IP development model for Ne Zha and other films drawn from the classic mythological novel Investiture of the Gods seamlessly integrates various stages, including creation, technological innovation, market expansion and derivative product development, ensuring a complete and efficient industry chain.
