A cup, one of the popular related merchandise of the film "Ne Zha 2". [Photo/tmall.com]

Ever since its premiere at the 2025 Spring Festival, the Chinese animated film "Ne Zha 2" has been a runaway success in both box office receipts and merchandise sales.

By Feb 17, the film had raked in a staggering 12 billion RMB (equivalent to approximately $1.66 billion), securing a spot among the top 10 highest-grossing movies globally. In just nine days after its release, "Ne Zha 2" smashed through the 60 billion RMB mark in box office revenue.

The film's triumph has led to a surge in sales of related merchandise. According to Taobao data, officially licensed "Ne Zha 2" products have generated over 50 million RMB in sales. The range of merchandise available is vast, spanning blind boxes, trading cards, plush toys, PVC figures, film strip cards, refrigerator magnets, badges, and stickers.

The film "Ne Zha 2" leads to a surge in sales of related merchandise.[Photo/tmall.com]

The "Ne Zha 2" blind box series launched by Pop Mart made a splash, raking in over 10 million RMB in just eight days. Another standout performer is the trading card set from CardYou, which sold more than 700,000 units in a single week.

The film "Ne Zha 2" leads to a surge in sales of related merchandise.[Photo/tmall.com]

The popularity of "Ne Zha 2" merchandise transcends the digital realm, with brick-and-mortar stores such as trendy shops witnessing a frenzy of demand for these items. The unprecedented success of the film and its associated products underscores the increasing commercial significance of homegrown animated intellectual properties (IPs) in China.

Source: China Daily
Photo/tmall.com via China Daily
Editor: Lyu Yun