According to China News, director Jiaozi's animated film became available for free on various video platforms (requiring only account registration) on 2/8. Even before its online debut, the film topped viewers' "watch lists." On the Bilibili platform, it garnered 110 million followers. At one point on 2/8, the platform recorded over 90,000 concurrent viewers. Other video sites also reported concurrent viewership reaching 100,000.
Compared to the theatrical version, the online release includes three additional minutes of comedic content about the celestial realm, focusing on the Immortal Taiyi Zhenren and his disciples.
Numerous media outlets have described Na Tra 2 as "hot from the winter holiday to the summer holiday." Released during the Lunar New Year, the film remained in theaters until the end of June, setting over 100 records, including highest-grossing film in Chinese box office history, most-watched film in Chinese history, highest-grossing animated film globally, and the only Asian film among the top 5 highest-grossing films worldwide.
In China, Na Tra 2 is the first film to attract over 300 million theatrical viewers, equivalent to one in every five people seeing the film. It earned a total of 2.2 billion USD.
Director Jiaozi (real name Yang Yu, 45) is currently in seclusion to focus on creating the third installment, a project expected to take five years. In an April interview on CCTV, producer Wang Zhang Tian, Jiaozi's colleague, mentioned the director's immense pressure, explaining his choice to remain secluded until the new film's completion.
Na Tra 2 has established Jiaozi as the most commercially successful Chinese director. According to Sina, he achieved this unprecedented feat with just one film. In his roles as director, screenwriter, and producer, Jiaozi could potentially earn two billion CNY (279 million USD).
On Mtime, Jiaozi revealed the core message he aimed to convey in the film: Na Tra's mother never cared whether her son "became a demon or cultivated into a celestial being." Her only hope was for Na Tra to understand her unconditional love. This love transforms Na Tra, leading him to realize that his identity is inconsequential. He doesn't need external validation; he simply needs to live according to his own will.
Nhu Anh (via China News, Mtime)
