KEY POINTS
- Film to screen in Urdu-dubbed and subtitled versions
- Premiere highlights Pakistan–China “Ironclad Friendship”
- Pakistan’s ‘Maula Jatt’ to release in China next
ISLAMABAD: In a major step towards strengthening cultural ties between Pakistan and China, HKC Entertainment, in collaboration with Mandviwalla Entertainment, will release the record-breaking Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2 across Pakistan on October 31.
The film’s release marks the first major Chinese production to be imported and distributed in Pakistan in recent years, signalling a renewed era of cross-border cooperation in cinema and the arts.
Ne Zha 2 has become a global phenomenon, grossing US$2.2 billion worldwide, making it the world’s highest-grossing animated film, the fifth-highest-grossing film overall, and China’s biggest box-office success to date.
The official premiere was attended by Shi Yuanqiang, Minister Counsellor and Charge d’Affaires of China, underscoring the event’s diplomatic and cultural significance.
The movie will be screened in both its original Chinese version with English subtitles and a specially dubbed Urdu version to ensure wider accessibility for local audiences.
Joyce Lee, Managing Director of Encore Films, described the release as “a milestone film that has broken records across Asia”.
She said the partnership with HKC and Mandviwalla Entertainment would allow Pakistani audiences to “experience the incredible story of Ne Zha 2 alongside our valued cinema partners”.
Friendship beyond trade
At the premiere, Shi Yuanqiang said the release of Ne Zha 2 in Pakistan “strengthens our friendship beyond trade and development. It is a vital cultural bridge, allowing the people of Pakistan to experience the best of modern Chinese cinema.”
Pakistani Senator Saleem Mandviwalla called the event “a cultural and political reflection of the deep, unbreakable bond between Pakistan and China”, adding that it showed how the “Iron Brother friendship extends vibrantly into the world of arts and media”.
Sardar Yasir Illyas, Advisor to Pakistan’s Prime Minister on Tourism, said the collaboration marked “a game-changer for regional cinema”, noting the upcoming release of Pakistan’s The Legend of Maula Jatt in China later this year.
Approved by China Film Group under the quota system, Maula Jatt will be the first Pakistani film released in China on a revenue-sharing basis.
Officials said the dual film exchange reflects the growing cultural depth of the Pakistan-China Ironclad Friendship, paving the way for expanded cooperation in media, arts, and creative industries.
