STORY: Make sure everyone has opportunity to watch "Ne Zha 2" in Australia: cinema chain manager
SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 18, 2025
DATELINE: Feb. 19, 2025
LENGTH: 00:02:31
LOCATION: SYDNEY, Australia
CATEGORY: ECONOMY/CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. shot of Hoyts Group's signs
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): LOUIS GEORG, Film programmer and foreign content manager of Hoyts Group
3. various of cinemas across Australia
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): LOUIS GEORG, Film programmer and foreign content manager of Hoyts Group
5. various of cinemas across Australia
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): LOUIS GEORG, Film programmer and foreign content manager of Hoyts Group
7. various of cinemas across Australia

STORYLINE:

A manager of Hoyts, Australia's major cinema chain, said Tuesday that his company is trying to ensure that everyone in the country has an opportunity to see the Chinese animated film "Ne Zha 2."

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): LOUIS GEORG, Film programmer and foreign content manager of Hoyts Group
"For opening weekend just last weekend, it had the film screened in over 90 cinemas across Australia. And over 35 of these were Hoyts cinemas, and that's certainly a record for any Chinese release in history up to this point, which is fantastic. And we're screening the film 'Ne Zha 2' in cinemas that we've never previously shown Chinese films (at). And they're selling out. So it's really fantastic to see. And in terms of changes you mentioned, I mean, only yesterday we added nine additional Hoyts locations to screen this film. We can see how big the demand is. And we're doing what we can to adjust and make sure that everyone in Australia who wants to see this film has an opportunity to get to the cinema and watch it."

"Ne Zha 2" is the sequel to the 2019 animated blockbuster "Ne Zha." Both films were inspired by the 16th-century Chinese mythological novel "The Investiture of the Gods."

"Ne Zha 2" has dethroned Disney's 2024 picture "Inside Out 2" to become the highest-grossing animated movie of all time globally. As of Tuesday evening, the film's worldwide earnings, including presales, surpassed 12.32 billion yuan (about 1.72 billion U.S. dollars), according to data from Chinese ticketing platform Maoyan.

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): LOUIS GEORG, Film programmer and foreign content manager of Hoyts Group
"And what's so amazing about 'Ne Zha 2' is that the audience is so broad. There are kids coming to see it. There are teenagers, students, young professionals, parents, all the way to grandparents."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): LOUIS GEORG, Film programmer and foreign content manager of Hoyts Group
"One thing that surprised me about the film was actually how funny it was. There was a lot of humor in the film, as well as action and emotions. And I think all of those together made a very engaging storyline. It's certainly the type of film that I'd be happy to watch two or three more times. There was so much to like about the film. And I don't think it's any surprise of how successful it is."

"Ne Zha 2" took the third spot with 2.35 million Australian dollars (1.50 million U.S. dollars) in the Weekend Total Box Office from Thursday through Sunday, according to data from box office reporting company Numero on Monday.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Sydney, Australia.
(XHTV)