Ne Zha 2, the highest grossing animated film of all time, will receive an English language release this summer from A24 — plus, it’ll now include none other than Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh in the voice cast.
The English version of the film will premiere in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand on August 22 and will be available in premium formats like IMAX and 3D.
According to the official synopsis published by Variety, the film follows Ne Zha, who “is feared by the gods and born to mortal parents with wild, uncontrolled powers. Now faced with an ancient force intent on destroying humanity, he must grow up to become the hero the world needs.”
As for Yeoh, her exact role in the film is being kept secret, but she seems to be thrilled to be part of bringing this exciting film to English-speaking audiences. “I’m honored to be part of ‘Ne Zha 2,’ a landmark in Chinese animation and a powerful reminder of how universal our stories can be,” the actress said.
“Sharing this with audiences in English is such a joy, and I can’t wait for everyone to experience the wonder, heart, spectacular artistry and magic of this film on the big screen.”
Since its debut in Chinese theaters at the end of January, Ne Zha 2 has catapulted to the top of the global box office charts with a whopping $2.2 billion in revenue on a budget of just $80 million. With that number, it has secured the titles of highest grossing non-English language film of all time, the highest grossing animated film of all time (surpassing Inside Out 2 and The Lion King), and the fifth highest grossing film ever released. It even surpassed Star Wars: The Force Awakens for the title of highest grossing film in a single territory within a mere 11 days after its release.
Chinese company CMC, who will partner with A24 to bring the English version of the film to a wider audience, first announced the plan at the Beijing International Film Festival back in April.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
