Hollywood has ruled the global box office for years, with big-budget movies making billions. But this year, a small $80-million Chinese animated film has beaten Disney and Pixar to become the highest-grossing animated movie ever.

Ne Zha 2, directed by Jiaozi and produced by Enlight Pictures, is the third movie in the Fengshen Universe, following Ne Zha (2019) and Jiang Ziya (2020).

Released on January 29, the film quickly became a huge success, earning an incredible $1.92 billion in just four weeks. It has now become the highest-grossing Chinese film ever, passing Disney-Pixar’s Inside Out 2, which made $1.69 billion.

And the success is not over yet. Ne Zha 2 is still playing in theatres and is expected to cross $2 billion soon, a milestone only six films have ever reached. The movie is inspired by Investiture of the Gods, a famous 16th-century Chinese novel. Its release during the Chinese New Year helped boost its popularity.

Not only has Ne Zha 2 beaten animated movies, but it has also outperformed big Hollywood films, including Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World, making almost seven times more money despite its smaller budget.

It is now the seventh highest-grossing movie of all time, behind Avatar, Avengers: Endgame, Titanic, and Star Wars- The Force Awakens. This proves that non-Hollywood movies can also break records and dominate the global box office.