Chinese Animation Powers Imax Growth as ‘Ne Zha 2’ Redefines Box Office Potential

variety.com:

Naman Ramachandran In a post-pandemic world where audiences demand premium theatrical experiences, Imax is betting big on the Asian market, with China’s animation boom leading the charge. “Ne Zha 2” has shattered box office records, grossing over RMB14.8 billion ($2.06 billion) in mainland China, according to Maoyan Entertainment data.

The animated sequel has been particularly strong for Imax, which saw approximately 55% of its screenings in the 3D format. “It had just all these elements of a good movie,” Imax CEO Rich Gelfond told Variety. “It was humorous.

There was a lot of action in it. It looked really good. It was also based on an ancient Chinese story, which a lot of Chinese children are aware of.” The animated feature’s success in Imax theaters stems from technical excellence that showcases the premium format’s strengths. “The animation is very high-quality.

And whether it’s 2D or 3D, I think the brightness in Imax as well as the size of the theater and the quality of the sound, they make it just a much better movie,” Gelfond explained. “I would say an analog would be ‘Avatar,’ where a lot of it’s in 3D.