The director behind the blockbuster hit “Ne Zha 2,” which holds the title for the highest-grossing animated film in Chinese box office history, is encouraging fellow creators to prioritize more diversity in storytelling. This call comes as the industry faces a unique challenge, with the staggering $2.2 billion global earnings of his successful sequel serving as evidence of its impact.
In just the past ten years, the Chinese animation industry has gone from crawling to running, with a significant surge largely driven by figures like Yang Yu (known as Jiaozi), creator of both the blockbuster hit Ne Zha and its sequel. The world has embraced the story of the young demon boy’s journey towards immortality, yet Yang advises other Chinese filmmakers to proceed with caution when attempting or even dreaming of duplicating this success.
Yang believes that within the next five to ten years, an increasing number of young people who used to just enjoy animation will start creating their own, leading to a surge in diverse content.
I’m quite hopeful due to the relatively small number of directors and creators in China’s animation industry. For instance, a film like Ne Zha might involve only about one to two thousand people behind the scenes. Currently, this number represents nearly everyone working in the Chinese animation sector.
This week, Yang is part of the jury for the Golden Goblet award for animation at the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival, China’s largest annual film industry event. He is alongside fellow jurors Nora Twomey, an Oscar-nominated Irish filmmaker known for “The Secret of Kells,” and Koji Yamamura from Japan, creator of “Mt. Head.” The festival has a history of promoting animation, mirroring the city’s own support, as Shanghai was the birthplace of the first Asian animated feature film, “Princess Iron Fan,” produced in 1941.
Five films, hailing from different parts of the globe, are contenders for the Golden Goblet. These include “Make a Girl” by Gensho Yasuda, representing Japan, “The Songbirds’ Secret” by Antoine Lanciaux, which has markets in France, Switzerland, and Belgium, and “Magic Beach” from Robert Connolly, originating from Australia.
Involved in two films are China, and these movies demonstrate how broadly the genre has expanded today. This is evident with the U.S.-coproduced film “Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass” directed by Zhang Gang, as well as the war-tinged fantasy “Edge of Time” helmed by Li Wei, Weng Ming, Shinichiro Watanabe, and Shuhei Morita.
Over the past ten years, films such as “White Snake” (2019) and “Ne Zha” have been successful due to their roots in traditional Chinese intellectual properties. Yang stated that it’s not just a preference for these creators, but rather a necessity. In the last decade, movies not based on such classic IP might not have been as marketable.
He went on to say that there’s growing excitement worldwide for outstanding Chinese animation, which often reinterprets traditional Chinese legends. He believes this has given the industry a fresh boost. Over time, people have come to realize that China is capable of creating top-notch animated films, and as a result, we’ll see an array of diverse content being produced.
In response, Twomey found the inspiration from Ne Zha 2 to be particularly beneficial and encouraging for the international animation community.
She expressed her viewpoint that this moment is particularly unique. We find ourselves in intriguing circumstances, yet we’re also confronted with numerous difficulties. For instance, the widespread adoption of AI and the escalated demand for impressive animations have become quite significant. In light of these challenges, our aim is to let our creativity soar without boundaries and deliver pieces that are truly exciting for the audience.
Read More
2025-06-16 12:24