The animated filmNe Zha 2has broken yet another record this week, continuing its streak of dominating the highest-grossing charts.Ne Zha 2serves as a sequel to the 2019 animated movieNe Zha, and it follows the characters Ne Zha and Ao Bing fighting to save their community and return to their physical bodies byNe Zha 2’s ending. The movie boasts impressive animation and an entertaining story, but what truly brought it attention was whenNe Zha 2surpassedInside Out 2as thehighest-grossing animated film ever.
Now, only a month and a half after its initial release,Ne Zha 2has surpassed the $2 billion mark, making it one of only seven movies to ever do so.Ne Zha 2was released to coincide with Chinese New Year and the majority of the profits have come from Chinese audiences, but the movie has seen increasing popularity with broader audiences who are curious about its success. Since the movie is still in theaters, its profits will continue to grow, butthere is one franchise that has already lost its record thanks toNe Zha 2’s current success.
Ne Zha 2 Officially Knocked The Harry Potter Franchise Out Of The All-Time Box Office Top 20
Ne Zha 2 Far Surpasses Even The Highest-Grossing Harry Potter Movie
Sadly, the belovedHarry Potterfranchise has been knocked out of the top 20 highest-grossing films of all time thanks toNe Zha 2’s success. Having now grossed over $2 billion and with ticket sales still coming in,Ne Zha 2is currently the sixth highest-grossing movie of all time, having recently surpassedAvengers: Infinity War. It also looks entirely possible forNe Zha 2to enter the top five, as its current gross is $2.062 billion, andStar Wars: The Force Awakens,in fifth place, has grossed $2.068 billion.
In contrast,Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2has grossed $1.342 billion since its release in 2011. There is already a massive difference between the two andHarry Potterhas been moving down the list for some time, butNe Zha 2’s success marks its actual exit from the top 20 list. Currently, without the update to showNe Zha 2’s advances,Box Office MojoshowsHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2at 20 exactly, meaning it would move down to 21 with an update.
Disney Has 2 Upcoming Chances To Beat Ne Zha 2’s Box Office & Reclaim Inside Out 2’s Lost Box Office Record
After Ne Zha 2’s unparalleled box office success, only two Disney sequels have a chance to surpass it — but they could fall short of its high gross.
While the success ofNe Zha 2and other recent movies has moved theHarry Potterfranchise out of the top 20 highest-grossing individual films,the Wizarding World franchise as a whole is still one of the highest-grossing film series of all time. According toThe Numbers, theHarry Potterseries ranks fourth overall at the worldwide box office with a gross of over $9.5 billion. It is surpassed only by the MCU, Spider-Man, andStar Warsfranchises.
Ever since the release ofHarry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stonein 2001, there has been aHarry Potterfilm in the highest-grossing charts. In fact, at the time of its release,the firstHarry Pottermovie became the highest-grossing film of the year and the second highest-grossing film of all time, behindTitanic.Harry Potter and the Chamber of SecretsandHarry Potter and the Prisoner and Azkabaneach grossed less than the first film but were incredibly successful, becoming the second highest-grossing films of their respective years.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2
21 - peaked at 3
$1.342 billion
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
47 - peaked at 2
$1.022 billion
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1
48 - peaked at 10
$977 million
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
57 - peaked at 6
$942 million
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
59 - peaked at 8
$934 million
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
63 - peaked at 8
$896.6 million
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
68
$879.6 million
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
90
$797 million
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fireonce again ranked as the highest-grossing film of its year, 2005, andOrder of the PhoenixandHalf-Blood Princeeach came in second in their years.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1came in third overall in 2010, and placed 10th on the top 20 list, joining the first installment. However, as blockbuster movies have begun to make increasingly more money in the years sinceHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2was released, it has been the only film from the series to maintain its place in the top 20.
Harry Potter Has No Upcoming Opportunities To Re-Enter The Box Office Top 20
The Series Does Not Seem Likely To Regain Its Spot
With no upcomingHarry Pottermovies on the horizon, the franchise has no opportunities to reenter the box office top 20. The original series and theFantastic Beastsprequels are all over now, but they still have quite a legacy, so the series' removal from the top 20 is not too disappointing. Additionally, theupcomingHarry Potterreboothas shifted to a TV format, so while viewers may not get another big screen release for theHarry Potterseries, the characters' stories are not over yet.
Ultimately, it makes complete sense that theHarry Pottermovies would not stay in the box office top 20 forever, since audiences are naturally interested in seeing new things.
Ultimately, it makes complete sense that theHarry Pottermovies would not stay in the box office top 20 forever, since audiences are naturally interested in seeing new things. Though it may be disappointing to some fans to see their favorite movies be surpassed, it also shows that new films can be just as promising. Especially in the case ofNe Zha 2, the movie’s box office success is both very impressive on its own and a reminder for all film fans to potentially broaden their interests to include the many great movies released in other countries and languages.
