A new Chinese animated film has broken multiple box office records, thanks in part to a growing patriotic fervour as companies across the country subsidise tickets and organise group trips to the cinema to boost sales.
Ne Zha 2, which is based loosely on a 16th century tale of a young outcast endowed with magical, dragon-slaying powers, has raked in more than Rmb$12.4bn ($1.7bn) since its release late last month, according to Chinese ticketing platform Maoyan, making it the world’s highest grossing animated film ever and cracking the all-time global top-10 list.
The film has also sparked an outpouring of nationalist pride from Chinese companies.