'Dazzling Visual Effects Set Box Office Ablaze in 'Ne Zha 2'
"Ne Zha 2" ignites the box office with its stunning visual effects.
TroibNews 
The production team behind "Nezha: Demon Child Conquers the Sea," also known as "Ne Zha 2," has made significant strides in delivering innovative visual effects that engage viewers, making it the leading box-office draw during the 2025 Spring Festival holiday.
"Ne Zha 2" is the sequel to the successful 2019 animated film "Ne Zha," inspired by the mythological character from the Ming Dynasty novel "Fengshen Yanyi," or "The Investiture of the Gods."
This latest feature showcases improved visual effects, elevating the audience's experience compared to its predecessor.
"The total number of shots with special visual effects in 'Ne Zha 2' exceeds the entire shot count of the first movie. With a total of 34 major scenes, the movie delivers a small climax as early as the seventh scene," stated Chen Changjiang, executive producer of "Ne Zha 2."
A significant scene features an astonishing array of mythical sea creatures, where chains connecting the monsters are pivotal. However, the necessity of showcasing these connections posed challenges that could have complicated shot composition and risked delays for the special effects team.
This led to differences between the production team and the director.
"Those chains were non-negotiable for me, as they were essential to the plot's core logic. Each monster in the vast army had to be bound by a chain. Our effects team had never faced such a task, so it required a lot of trial and error. It was a research and development process," explained Yang Yu, the film's director, who is also known as Jiaozi.
The team responded by putting in extensive effort to refine their effects to align with the director’s vision.
"We invested a significant amount of time in developing these complex effects. Our goal was to create something that audiences had never seen before, something that would deliver a strong visual impact and offer a fresh artistic expression. This is the kind of work we believe is truly worth doing," Yang noted.
In an interview with China Media Group, Yang mentioned that while they outsourced some key shots to top international visual effects teams, the outcomes were often disappointing.
"So we took the project back, and the domestic team worked hard to polish it, and finally achieved better results," he remarked.
"Nothing under the sun is new, and all the difficult things can be solved by man," he added, reflecting on the challenges faced.
"In the process, we realized the strength of foreign countries and their advanced industrial processes and technologies," he continued. "We are still in a learning phase and the gap is definitely closing."
As of Tuesday, the total box office revenue in China for 2025 has exceeded 10 billion yuan, making it the top market globally—a significant achievement for the film industry. Furthermore, as of noon on Tuesday, box office revenue for the 2025 Spring Festival holiday reached 9 billion yuan, marking a record for this timeframe in the country's cinematic history, per data from the China Film Administration.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
"Ne Zha 2" is the sequel to the successful 2019 animated film "Ne Zha," inspired by the mythological character from the Ming Dynasty novel "Fengshen Yanyi," or "The Investiture of the Gods."
This latest feature showcases improved visual effects, elevating the audience's experience compared to its predecessor.
"The total number of shots with special visual effects in 'Ne Zha 2' exceeds the entire shot count of the first movie. With a total of 34 major scenes, the movie delivers a small climax as early as the seventh scene," stated Chen Changjiang, executive producer of "Ne Zha 2."
A significant scene features an astonishing array of mythical sea creatures, where chains connecting the monsters are pivotal. However, the necessity of showcasing these connections posed challenges that could have complicated shot composition and risked delays for the special effects team.
This led to differences between the production team and the director.
"Those chains were non-negotiable for me, as they were essential to the plot's core logic. Each monster in the vast army had to be bound by a chain. Our effects team had never faced such a task, so it required a lot of trial and error. It was a research and development process," explained Yang Yu, the film's director, who is also known as Jiaozi.
The team responded by putting in extensive effort to refine their effects to align with the director’s vision.
"We invested a significant amount of time in developing these complex effects. Our goal was to create something that audiences had never seen before, something that would deliver a strong visual impact and offer a fresh artistic expression. This is the kind of work we believe is truly worth doing," Yang noted.
In an interview with China Media Group, Yang mentioned that while they outsourced some key shots to top international visual effects teams, the outcomes were often disappointing.
"So we took the project back, and the domestic team worked hard to polish it, and finally achieved better results," he remarked.
"Nothing under the sun is new, and all the difficult things can be solved by man," he added, reflecting on the challenges faced.
"In the process, we realized the strength of foreign countries and their advanced industrial processes and technologies," he continued. "We are still in a learning phase and the gap is definitely closing."
As of Tuesday, the total box office revenue in China for 2025 has exceeded 10 billion yuan, making it the top market globally—a significant achievement for the film industry. Furthermore, as of noon on Tuesday, box office revenue for the 2025 Spring Festival holiday reached 9 billion yuan, marking a record for this timeframe in the country's cinematic history, per data from the China Film Administration.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
