'Nezha the Demon Child Comes into the World'), also spelled Nezha,[a][12][13] is a 2019 Chinese animated[3] fantasy adventure film[7] directed and written by Jiaozi.

[4][14] Featuring the popular Chinese mythological character Nezha, the plot is loosely based on the 16th-century novel Investiture of the Gods by Xu Zhonglin.

[23] A direct sequel, Ne Zha 2, was released on 29 January 2025, which broke multiple box-office records and stands as the highest-grossing animated film of all time.

Supreme Lord Yuanshi Tianzun dispatches his disciples Taiyi Zhenren and Shen Gongbao to subdue the sentient pearl.

Tianzun then instructs Taiyi to take the Spirit Pearl to be reincarnated as the third son of Li Jing in the town of Chentang Pass, to be named Ne Zha.

Shen steals the Spirit Pearl, causing Li Jing's pregnant wife Lady Yin to give birth to a reincarnation of the Demon Orb, Ne Zha.

Taiyi tells them that Ne Zha's fate is sealed: in three years' time the heavenly curse placed upon the Demonic Orb will kill him.

Angry at his parents' deception, Ne Zha unleashes his true demonic form and nearly kills his father until Ao Bing intervenes.

Their mortal bodies can't contain the full energy of the strike and are destroyed, but with Taiyi's help, they survive by becoming spirits, and the townsfolk kneel before them.

In the mid and post credits scenes, the Dragon King vows vengeance on the citizens of Chentang Pass for what happened to Ao Bing, while in an unknown location, Jiang Ziya is introduced.

The film tells the mythological origins of Nezha, who is a protection deity in Chinese folk religion, and its story is loosely based on the literary version of the myth that forms two chapters of Investiture of the Gods, a Ming-dynasty shenmo novel, traditionally attributed to Xu Zhonglin, which incorporates various existing myths into a wider narrative.

[34] It was released in the United States and Canada in select IMAX 3D venues on 29 August, followed by other cinemas on 6 September, distributed by Well Go USA Entertainment.

[17][20][12] It was released in the United Kingdom and Ireland, including in select IMAX 3D venues, on 30 August, distributed by CMC Pictures in collaboration with Cine Asia.

[38] The creative team behind the film has announced that Ne Zha will be the first installment in a fictional universe based on the stories told in the Fengshen Yanyi.