Lilo & Stitch Is Not the First Movie to Cross the Billion-Dollar Mark in 2025

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Disney’s live-action adaptation of “Lilo & Stitch” is exceeding box office predictions, having now surpassed the billion-dollar milestone globally. This makes it the first movie released by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) in 2025 to reach this benchmark, signifying a major triumph for the studio. However, while the celebration is certainly merited, a broader perspective shows that the little blue alien was not the first character to break the billion-dollar barrier this year. That distinction goes to the Chinese animated sequel “Ne Zha 2,” which has surpassed the billion-dollar mark and is now well over $2.2 billion, primarily due to its success in China alone.

The extraordinary triumph of “Ne Zha 2” can be attributed to a cultural and box office sensation that started in 2019. The original film, “Ne Zha,” astonished the industry by raking in over $726 million globally, placing it as the second highest-grossing non-English movie ever, surpassed only by the Chinese war epic “The Battle at Lake Changjin” with its $902 million. Its performance within its native country was nothing short of historic. With a Chinese domestic gross roughly equivalent to $719 million, it obliterated the record for the highest-grossing animated film in a single market, a title previously held by “Incredibles 2,” which garnered $608 million in North America.

The immense popularity of Ne Zha paved the way for a vast following and placed enormous pressure on a sequel to meet expectations. Remarkably, the filmmakers surpassed these expectations with an outstanding performance. Combined, these films offer a compelling view of a significant change in the global box office scene, demonstrating China’s ability to earn revenue that competes with the highest-grossing Hollywood blockbusters.

Ne Zha 2‘s Unprecedented Single Market Power

The incredible success of Ne Zha 2 at the box office demonstrates the immense influence and potential of the contemporary Chinese movie industry. On its debut on January 29, 2025, timed with the Lunar New Year, the film wasted no time in shattering records. It established a new benchmark for the largest single-day gross ever recorded for an animated film within China, earning approximately $96 million on its opening day. In a stunning feat, it also became the quickest movie in Chinese history to surpass the 10 billion yuan mark (about $1.38 billion), achieving this milestone in merely seven days.

The Chinese box office earnings of “Ne Zha 2” have reached an astounding 15.44 billion yuan, equivalent to approximately $2.13 billion. This figure sets a new record for a film’s gross within a single country, outperforming the previous high set by “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” which made $936.6 million in North America. Essentially, “Ne Zha 2” has earned over $1.19 billion more domestically than “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” did in its own market.

To truly understand the magnitude of Ne Zha 2’s success, it is presently ranked as the fifth highest-grossing film ever made, outperforming blockbusters such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($2.07 billion) and Avengers: Infinity War ($2.05 billion). Only four films have grossed more: Titanic by James Cameron ($2.25 billion), the upcoming Avatar: The Way of Water ($2.32 billion), Avengers: Endgame ($2.79 billion), and the all-time leader, the original Avatar ($2.92 billion). This makes Ne Zha 2 the sole non-American and non-English language film in the top ten highest-grossing films of all time.

In terms of its success within the animation genre, Ne Zha 2 stands head and shoulders above the rest. With an astounding $2.215 billion earnings, it holds the title of the highest-grossing animated film ever, far surpassing its nearest competitor. The runner-up is Disney’s 2019 photorealistic reboot of The Lion King, which grossed $1.663 billion worldwide. Ne Zha 2 has outperformed the previous record holder by an impressive margin of over $550 million, a sum that is greater than the total global earnings of numerous successful animated blockbusters.

What Hollywood Can Learn From Ne Zha 2

Endgame, one of cinema’s biggest hits, had a production cost of around $356 million and grossed $2.79 billion, offering a multiplier of less than eight. Movies like Marvel’s The Fantastic Four: First Steps (with an estimated budget over $200 million) or DC’s Superman (with a reported net budget of $225 million) usually need to earn a staggering $600−$700 million just to break even. Even if Ne Zha 2 stopped at $500 million, it would still be considered highly profitable.

Additionally, the remarkable success of Ne Zha 2 within its domestic market underscores a significant transformation in global film industry dynamics. Previously perceived as a dependable platform to catapult Hollywood blockbusters into the billion-dollar bracket, China’s box office has shown a preference for locally produced films. The triumph of movies like Ne Zha 2 suggests that Chinese audiences are not experiencing cinema burnout but rather display an unprecedented excitement for narratives that resonate deeply with their cultural heritage and values. Consequently, Hollywood studios must reconsider their traditional strategies to regain a substantial portion of this market and reproduce the blockbuster global earnings of the pre-pandemic period. This requires a fundamental overhaul in their approach to international audiences, moving away from surface-level representation towards creating films that offer authentic cross-cultural appeal.

The significant success of “Lilo & Stitch,” raking in a billion dollars, was a much-needed victory for Disney as many of their other major releases in 2025 struggled financially. For instance, Marvel Studios faced losses with two of their movies – “Captain America: Brave New World” and “Thunderbolts” – both failing to recoup their costs despite earning $415.1 million and $381.9 million respectively at the box office. The live-action remake of “Snow White” also underperformed, grossing just $205 million worldwide against a hefty production budget estimated between $240 to $270 million. Similarly, Pixar’s original film “Elio” only managed to earn $120 million globally on a $150 million budget. These collective flops highlight the vulnerability of Disney’s high-budget blockbuster strategy, making the billion-dollar success of “Lilo & Stitch” crucial for the studio in 2025.

To achieve long-term sustainability, a strategy that’s both diversified and financially prudent is crucial. The days of assuming American blockbusters will effortlessly rule the global box office are over. By keeping costs in check and focusing on stories with universal appeal, Hollywood can steer clear of the financial flops it has experienced lately. As the Chinese market demonstrates its potential to set new records, this shift in approach seems increasingly necessary.

Right now, “Lilo & Stitch” is being shown in cinemas. The English version of “Ne Zha 2” is set to hit U.S. theaters on August 22nd, further bolstering its rule at the box office.

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2025-07-18 17:40