Chinese movies make deep inroads into ASEAN

It only took the Chinese animation movie Ne Zha 2 six days after its March 13 opening in Malaysia to gross over 22 million ringgit ($4.97 million). The huge earnings have made it the highest-grossing film from China in the Malaysian box office, according to the social media post of TGV Cinemas, one of Malaysia's biggest cinema chains.

That Ne Zha 2 is a huge hit in Malaysia is just another proof of its global appeal. After all, the movie, which chronicles the adventures of a plucky mythical demon child and his ally, a dragon deity, has resonated with millions of moviegoers worldwide, making it the first non-Hollywood title to earn over $1 billion. The success of Ne Zha 2 in Malaysia is another example of how Chinese movies have made inroads in Southeast Asia in the past few years.

Ne Zha 2, for example, also debuted in jam-packed cinemas in the Philippines and Thailand when the movie was released on March 12 and March 13 respectively. In Indonesia, Ne Zha 2 premiered on March 15 in a packed theater in Jakarta.