In a move that could recalibrate how we view global animation, A24 and CMC Pictures are bringing China’s box office destroyer Ne Zha 2 to Western audiences with Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh voicing a pivotal role in the English cast.

The film—which has already obliterated records by raking in a staggering $1.899 billion globally—will hit theaters across the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand on August 22, 2025.

If you’re wondering why this matters: this isn’t just another international film getting a polite, limited release. This is the fifth highest-grossing movie of all time, period. It’s currently sitting as the highest-grossing animated film ever, making it a legitimate global phenomenon.

“I’m honored to be part of a film that bridges cultures through universal storytelling,” Yeoh told Deadline, cementing her role as Hollywood’s foremost ambassador for Asian cinema. She voices Lady Yin, Nezha’s mother, bringing gravitas to the family dynamics at the story’s heart.

The English voice cast is led by Joseph Cao as Nezha and Mo Han as Ao Bing, with Yeoh providing a crucial emotional anchor as the maternal figure in this mythological epic.

Ne Zha 2 has proven that Chinese animation can compete on the global stage by fusing traditional Chinese mythology with cutting-edge animation that rivals anything coming out of Disney or Pixar. The film’s success represents a seismic shift in the animation landscape.

A24’s involvement signals something significant—this isn’t being positioned as niche foreign content, but as premium entertainment deserving of IMAX and 3D treatment. With CMC Pictures in the mix as a collaborator with A24, this could potentially establish a blueprint for future East-West partnerships.

Western audiences who dismiss this as just another dubbed foreign film do so at their own risk. Ne Zha 2 represents the new global cinema landscape, where the most technically innovative and emotionally resonant blockbusters might not be speaking English first.

If you’ve missed out on seeing Ne Zha 2, catch the trailer below and then do yourself the favor of watching it in full in its original language first. Trust us, it’ll be worth the rewatch in English.

Cover image via HKFP.