'Nezha 2' Surpasses 'Titanic' to Become Fourth-Highest Grossing Film Ever

What happened

Nezha 2 (哪吒之魔童闹海) has vaulted into the top four of the all-time global box office, it has been reported that after Box Office Mojo updated its records to include late submissions from Malaysia the film's worldwide gross stands at $2.2674 billion — just ahead of Titanic's $2.2648 billion. That places the Chinese animated hit behind the two Avatar films and Avengers: Endgame, making it the highest‑grossing non‑Hollywood production on the list.

Why it matters

How did an animated film from China beat a Hollywood classic? The answer lies in China’s vast domestic market and a growing appetite for locally produced blockbusters. Nezha 2’s performance underscores the scale of China’s cinema market and the increasing global reach of Chinese IP. It also highlights a structural reality Western readers should note: China tightly manages foreign film imports through quotas and scheduling rules, which often gives major domestic releases clear windows to dominate the box office.

Bigger picture and caveats

Box Office Mojo is the primary source for the updated ranking; IT之家 reported the change and noted that if mainland China receipts are recalculated using a different RMB–USD conversion, the film's total could reportedly exceed $2.3 billion. Currency conversions and late reporting can shift rankings by small margins, so comparisons across eras are imperfect. Still, the broader point is clear: Chinese films are no longer confined to the domestic market — they are now reshaping the global box office conversation.