'Ne Zha 2' dominates China's box office again

During the weekend of March 21–23, "Ne Zha 2" continued to lead China's box office, earning RMB85.7 million ($11.9 million). This brings its total earnings to $2.081 billion after eight weeks in theaters, according to Artisan Gateway. The animated film remains popular with audiences. In Imax, it added $1.8 million globally, although this was a 41% drop from the previous weekend. Its global Imax total now stands at $158.2 million, with $154 million coming from China. In second place, Hanna Pictures’ "The River of Fury" debuted with $2 million. This crime thriller, directed by Feng Yongqin, revolves around the mysterious disappearance of a woman linked to a series of murders. "As One Production's" "Detective Chinatown 1900" secured third place, earning $1.9 million. Its total gross now reaches $492.1 million, reflecting its strong performance. Lian Ray Pictures' drama "New Life," which tells the story of a lonely worker who befriends a stray dog, opened in fourth place with $1.7 million. Finally, a re-release of the classic supernatural romance "A Chinese Ghost Story" made $1.4 million to round out the top five. Overall, the weekend's box office totaled $24.5 million, down from $36.1 million the previous weekend. However, China's box office for 2025 so far is $3.36 billion, which is a 53.7% increase compared to the same time last year. This shows the market's strength despite fewer new releases after the busy Lunar New Year period.