Ne Zha 2 (2025) isn’t just a box office success—it’s a gateway for non-Western films into mainstream media.
For decades, Hollywood has dominated cultural representation, often reducing non-Western characters to stereotypes and sidelining their traditional myths.
Hollywood has long benefitted from portraying Chinese culture, despite not always giving them proper representation. Centred in Ancient China with a white male protagonist, The Great Wall (2016) is a film that plays into the white saviour trope—it sidelines the Chinese characters while reducing cultural elements into visual spectacles rather than exploring them in depth.
While there are a handful of culturally accurate films, they ultimately tell a Chinese story through a Western lens.
An example is Kung Fu Panda (2008), one of the biggest animated films that introduced Chinese culture to global audiences. The film’s storyline is heavily inspired by Chinese culture and incorporates many Chinese elements, like martial arts and philosophical ideas from Taoism and Confucianism.
Though many Chinese audiences appreciate the film and its cultural themes, it still tells a story from an American perspective, which filters Chinese culture for an American audience.
Hollywood’s domination in live-action and animated films has been influential in setting the global standard for visual effects, CGI, and storytelling. Its vast resources and quick advancements for animation make its films difficult to compete with. There’s no doubt Hollywood’s monopoly over animated films is challenging for filmmakers in different countries to keep up and gain global recognition.
This is why the success of the recent film, Ne Zha 2, is so significant. Since its release on Feb. 14, it’s currently the highest grossing animated film, making over 1.7 billion USD and suring the previous record set by Inside Out 2 (2024).
Ne Zha 2 could be a turning point for international films.
Unlike Kung Fu Panda, Ne Zha is a completely Chinese production, based on a traditional story about a mythological boy with superpowers. It touches on themes of resilience, redemption, and self-determination, and is deeply rooted in the country’s storytelling.
On top of its compelling narrative, the film received overwhelming praise for its animation. The technical achievements and effects demonstrate China’s animation industry is catching up technologically with Hollywood. With advancements in CGI and animation production, Chinese studios prove they can deliver the same high-quality visuals and storytelling Hollywood has long gained exclusive recognition for.
When authentic Chinese films like Ne Zha 2 can resonate on the global stage without Western adaptation or approval, they prove high-quality, culturally specific storytelling has universal appeal. This could challenge Western studios to move beyond token representation and genuinely invest in international narratives and production.
The more audiences open up to diverse storytelling, the more opportunities arise to challenge Hollywood as the standard and embrace films that more accurately represent their own cultures. The success of Ne Zha 2 serves as a sign to Western media that it’s time to uplift and invest in the original voices behind traditional stories.
So, if you’re looking for an animated film that offers an authentic Chinese story rather than a Western rendition, maybe it’s time to give Ne Zha 2 a watch.
Florella is a first-year Health Sciences student and one of The Journal’s First Year Interns.
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