(Yicai) Feb. 17 -- Chinese animation blockbuster Ne Zha 2 entered the exclusive top 10 club of the global box office's biggest earning films today, with takings of CNY12 billion (USD1.6 billion) as of today, ousting The Lion King to rank 10th, according to data from movie tracker Beacon Pro. It is the first Asian movie to make the top 10.

The film, which is based on a traditional Chinese mythological story, is also a big hit overseas. On its North American premier on Feb. 14, Ne Zha 2 set new records for ticket pre-sales and the number of screenings for a Chinese-language movie in the region over the past 20 years. Many people living abroad said on social media that they had to scramble to get tickets to see Ne Zha 2.

Ne Zha 2 had grossed over USD8.3 million dollars in North America as of today, far exceeding the USD3.7 million that Ne Zha 1 earned in the region, according to US movie revenue website Box Office Mojo.

China’s film and television industry should carry out more joint distribution with overseas movie companies to expand their reach in the international film market, said Sun Jiashan, an associate researcher at the Central Academy of Culture and Tourism Administration.

More than 20 years ago, movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero did well at the global box office because they found suitable foreign distribution partners and established a reasonable revenue-sharing mechanism, Sun added.

Editor: Kim Taylor