The Chinese fantasy animation film 'Nezha 2' (哪吒之魔童闹海, Nezha: The Sea Riot of the Mischief) is gaining attention for its director, Zhaozi (饺子·45), who has set box office records. The fact that he is a medical school graduate who taught himself 3D animation and has had numerous hits since his first short animation to Nezha 2 is garnering interest. Director Zhaozi has transformed into a representative figure of Chinese animation, earning a wealth of hundreds of billions won through this success.
According to the Chinese online ticket sales platform Maoyan on the 16th, as of 10 p.m. on the 12th, Director Zhaozi surpassed renowned Chinese director Zhang Yimou in the cumulative box office revenue ranking, reaching 3rd place. This is due to 'Nezha 1' (哪咤之魔童降世, Nezha: The Birth of the Mischief) and 'Nezha 2' accumulating a total revenue of 14.526 billion yuan. Ahead of Director Zhaozi are Director Chen Sicheng (12 films, total 15.58 billion yuan), known for the comic action detective film 'Detective Chinatown', who became the first to break 10 billion yuan (about 2 trillion won), and Director Xu Ke (71 films, total 15.243 billion yuan), famous for the Wong Fei-hung series, in 1st and 2nd places respectively. Considering that the revenue of Nezha 2 surpassed 10 billion yuan on the 13th, this ranking could soon change.
As Nezha 2 achieves blockbuster success, attention is also focused on the personal background of Director Zhaozi, who has made a significant mark on the history of Chinese cinema with fantasy animation. Born in 1980 in Luzhou, Sichuan Province, Zhaozi's real name is Yang Yu (楊宇). The reason he chose Zhaozi as his pseudonym is simple: he loves dumplings (饺子·pronounced jiaozi). He initially named his production studio 'Jiaokeli' (饺剋力), a combination of dumplings and chocolate (巧剋力·pronounced qiaokeli). This symbolizes the blending of Chinese and Western cultures, but he later changed it to 'Zhaozi Studio' because the original name was difficult to pronounce.
Director Zhaozi graduated from the School of Pharmacy at Sichuan University (now part of the medical school). He enjoyed drawing from a young age, and started to teach himself 3D animation in his third year of university, changing his career path. After receiving support from his parents for about three years, he debuted with the short animation 'Hit and Kiss the Big Watermelon' (打, 打个大西瓜). He hit it big right from the start, winning over 30 awards domestically and internationally. He then formally established his studio, and the first animation he released was Nezha 1. This film garnered box office revenue of 5.035 billion yuan (about 1 trillion won), ranking 4th in Chinese cinema. After six years, he released his third film, Nezha 2. Throughout his filmmaking career, he has never encountered failure.
Director Zhaozi mentioned that the driving force behind his success comes from family. The Nezha series is adapted from the ancient myth of Nezha, which appears in the 16th-century Ming dynasty's monster novel 'Fengshen Yanyi' (封神演義). Following a phrase from the original work that says 'the bones are returned to the father, and the flesh to the mother', Director Zhaozi highlights the love between parents and children, reflecting his personal experiences. He stated, 'Our family is very harmonious, and thanks to my parents' support and tolerance, I was able to walk this path.' He added, 'I wanted to blend my sincere realizations and emotions into my work.'
Nezha 2 is continuously breaking new records. It has entered the global box office rankings as the first Chinese film to reach the top 20. Maoyan forecasts that Nezha 2's box office revenue will reach 16 billion yuan (about 3.2 trillion won). If this occurs, Nezha 2 will not only surpass Disney and Pixar's 'Inside Out 2' to become the number one animation in the world but will also rank 5th in the global box office rankings after 'Titanic'. Chinese film critic Raymond Zhou stated, 'Nezha 2 targets all demographics and successfully captures them,' calling it 'a rare film that meets all standards.'
As Nezha 2 achieves significant success, reports indicate that Director Zhaozi is set to earn a large sum. According to the Chinese economic media Xinlang Jingji, as of the 13th, Director Zhaozi's revenue is 1.645 billion yuan (about 300 billion won), and if Nezha 2's box office revenue rises to 16 billion yuan, Director Zhaozi is expected to receive 2 billion yuan (about 400 billion won). The media noted, 'With such a large amount of money, Nezha 3 could be produced independently without investment from another production company.'