Chinese animated film Nezha 2 has emerged as a cultural and commercial powerhouse, drawing global attention to the rapid evolution of China's animation industry. At the 2024 Shanghai International Film Festival, Irish director Nora Twomey – chair of the Golden Goblet Awards Animation Competition jury – highlighted the film's achievements during an interview with CGTN's Melody Zhang.
Twomey praised Nezha 2 for blending cutting-edge animation techniques with deep-rooted Chinese mythology, calling it "a masterclass in cultural storytelling that resonates across borders." The film's box office performance, surpassing 2.4 billion yuan ($330 million) domestically within three weeks, underscores growing international appetite for Chinese creative content.
The success reflects broader trends in Asia's entertainment sector, where streaming platforms and theatrical releases increasingly compete for high-quality animated features. Analysts note that films like Nezha 2 demonstrate China's ability to produce content that appeals to both domestic audiences and global markets, particularly among Asian diaspora communities.
Twomey emphasized the importance of technical innovation, revealing that the jury evaluated over 2,000 submissions from 25 countries and regions. "What sets Nezha 2 apart is its seamless integration of universal themes with distinctly Chinese visual aesthetics," she noted, pointing to its potential to inspire new collaborations between Asian and Western animation studios.
