Ne Zha 2 continues setting unprecedented box office records for animation, and there are only two Disney movies that could beat it. Produced by Beijing Enlight Media, the Chinese fantasy epic has long surpᴀssed Disney’s highest-grossing animated movies. Almost a month ago now, Ne Zha 2 pᴀssed Inside Out 2′s box office earnings. Now, it’s on its way to take Avengers: Infinity War and Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ places among the highest-grossing films of all time.

Yu Yang made his directorial debut with Ne Zha, which earned $726 million worldwide. Now, he has raised his own bar with his eye-catching, witty, and heart-rending multi-billion-dollar sequel. Ne Zha 2‘s successful sequel setup is heavily tied to its cultural value, as it is based on Invesтιтure of the Gods, a 16th-century Chinese novel and a vernacular text of its genre. Though Disney keeps getting closer to the $2 billion box office mark, it generally ends up a few hundred million dollars short. However, these two sequels might be Disney’s best chance to beat Ne Zha 2.

Ne Zha 2 Has Made Over $2 Billion At The Worldwide Box Office Now

Ne Zha 2 Is The First Animated Movie To Reach $2 Billion

In its opening weekend in China on January 29, 2025, Ne Zha 2 earned about $151 million, beating Frozen 2‘s grand $130 million debut. Though it got close to Inside Out 2‘s $155 million, it fell short of The Lion King‘s $191.7 million opening. However, around February 14, Yu Yang’s long-awaited sequel defied predictions, breaking the record for the highest-grossing movie in a single region. By February 29, it became the highest-grossing animated movie of all time, earning $1.704 billion against Inside Out 2‘s $1.698 billion.

At the time of writing, Ne Zha 2 has earned more than $2 billion, setting a new benchmark for animated movies to rival the biggest live-action franchises. Only five films have gotten close to Avatar‘s ridiculous $2 billion box office mark, among them Avengers: Endgame, Avatar: The Way of Water, тιтanic, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Avengers: Infinity War. However, Ne Zha 2‘s theatrical reign is far from over, as it’s currently playing in several countries, but has yet to be released in others — meaning it could still beat some of the highest-grossing movies of all time.

Toy Story 5 & Frozen 3 Are Disney’s Best Chances To Beat Ne Zha 2’s Box Office

Frozen 3 Is Backed By Being Disney’s Highest-Grossing Franchise At The Moment

Surprisingly, Disney Animation only has one movie that belongs in the top 10 highest-grossing movies, as Inside Out 2 placed no. 9 for its $1.7 billion. However, the Pixar sequel is still way behind the seven movies pᴀssing the $2 billion mark. That said, the studio does have two chances at beating Ne Zha 2 for place no. 7. Notably, Disney and Pixar are rolling out sequels to their most popular franchises back-to-back, with Toy Story 5 set for release on June 19, 2026, while Frozen 3‘s predicted box office records should come after November 24, 2027.

The Frozen franchise might be the studio’s best option for beating Ne Zha 2, as its two installments broke box office records upon their release, taking the Toy Story franchise’s claim as Disney’s no. 1. The first movie beat Toy Story 3 as the highest-grossing animated movie in 2013, and Frozen remains one of Disney’s highest-grossing films ever. Frozen 2 still has the biggest worldwide opening for an animated film, earning $358 million, more than Toy Story 4 ($244.5 million) and The Lion King remake ($245.9 million).

Toy Story 5 & Frozen 3 Are Still Unlikely To Outgross Ne Zha 2

Frozen 3 Is Expected To Beat Frozen 2 By No More Than $3 Million

While Frozen 3 certainly has the opportunity to defy box office expectations, it’s a tall order for it to outgross Ne Zha 2. The first movie made $1.3 billion, while its sequel merely jumped to $1.45 billion. For Frozen 3 to surpᴀss Ne Zha 2‘s box office profits, it would need to beat Frozen 2 by more than $500 million. Notably, Toy Story 4 only raised Toy Story 3‘s box office by $6 million. Though Tim Allen teased Toy Story 5‘s cool story, audiences have been preparing for the beloved franchise’s farewell since the third installment.

Accordingly, it is highly unlikely that Toy Story 5 will significantly surpᴀss the box office earnings of its predecessors, let alone Ne Zha 2. Additionally, even if Elsa and Anna’s new movie is surrounded by positive expectations and a genuine interest in the franchise, it doesn’t seem possible that Frozen 3 matches Ne Zha 2‘s unparalleled success in China. The franchise’s Rotten Tomatoes scores, though very high, are below Yu Yang’s fantasy movies, with Frozen 2 getting a 92% audience score, while Ne Zha 2 currently has an impressive 99%, and Ne Zha a 98%.

Sources: Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo