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Associated Press

A group of Chinese people decided they wanted China’s biggest movie to be big in the United States, literally. So they made it really big.
And therein lies a story.
On a recent Saturday afternoon, more than 100 people gathered at an IMAX screening room in a cinema outside Baltimore, in the US state of Maryland.
Many were Chinese students and young professionals, while parents took their children – some of whom dressed as the movie’s main characters. Men and women wore traditional Chinese outfits.
People lined up to sign their names on a Chinese scroll and get tickets styled like traditional Chinese paintings. Some posed for pictures with spears and swords.


The screening was organised by volunteers among the Chinese community in the Baltimore-Washington area. Ne Zha 2, the movie they came to see, is a Chinese film that replaced Inside Out 2 as the highest-grossing animated film ever at around US$2 billion.
You might never have heard of Ne Zha 2, though. It is not a big hit internationally. And that is exactly what the people behind the screening want to change.
Sun Bohan, a 27-year-old student in Baltimore, wanted to watch the movie on IMAX. The problem? Every IMAX was playing Captain America: Brave New World, which premiered on the same day.
He asked around and learned the only option would be to rent a cinema and pay for the showing at the IMAX. But Sun could not afford that on his own. So he posted on RedNote, also called Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social media app, and started a group on WeChat, China’s most popular messaging platform.
More than 100 people joined his effort and supported it in different capacities.

Raye Xia, a lover of manga, anime and games who had already watched the movie four times, saw Sun’s post and reached out.
She spent hours painting a special ticket for the screening that depicted the titular character Ne Zha sitting on a dragon under the cherry blossom trees near the Jefferson Memorial in the US capital, Washington.
“It is really rare to see such events in a small town. I love that I’m helping in my own way,” said Xia, who cosplayed as a movie character at the event.
Hoff Xu, a student, stayed up until 3am the night before and made her own outfit with copper wire, binder clips and old clothes.
“It is not an easy thing for everyone to get together, so I thought I would love to add some effect and vibe to this immersive experience,” Xu said.
Audience members loved the cosplay outfits and lined up to take photos with those dressed up.
“As a Chinese, I am really proud to see a Chinese movie as the only one among the top 10 of something,” said Zhao Yuanyuan, who brought her son Jiang Wei’en, seven, to see the movie together for the second time. “I hope he can be exposed to and carry on Chinese traditional culture and not forget his own roots.”

The communal experience of seeing the movie – and, in particular, the community built by advocating its showing – can help Chinese people in the US make in-person connections in the post-pandemic era. That is particularly true for a movie some feel is not getting its rightful attention globally.
In the US, the gatherings reflect the anxiety in Chinese communities about growing institutionalised hostility towards immigrants, especially since US President Donald Trump returned to office, says Belinda He, an assistant professor of East Asian and cinema and media studies at the University of Maryland.
“The emotional connection could purely outweigh the aesthetic impact and shock that the movie itself brings to them,” He said. “The more severe the institutionalised and structural exclusion here, the more people need to strive for some possibilities through real connections and a sense of belonging.”
Sun was not the only one with the idea. Other Chinese people living in the US have organised cinema rentals in Indianapolis, Boston and New York.
Ma Ruoyuan, 31, who works in finance, worked with a friend to organise two screenings that drew a total of 600 people to watch the movie in New York.
Ma says participants were highly involved in organising the events, from seat booking to checking tickets. They even practised democratic voting in the chat group so people could pick their preferences on the pricing system.

The movie’s rare access to an IMAX screen, Ma believes, is what “brought everyone together”.
IMAX said the high demand for IMAX screens means it requires studios to book months ahead, if not a year. The company said Ne Zha 2 was shown on 80 screens for one day on February 12 and expanded to 110 screens after Captain America ended.
“IMAX created opportunities to play Ne Zha 2 across its network in the United States, while honouring its earlier commitments to other releases,” the company said.
For Sun, who stayed up the night before the screening in Maryland to bake cookies for the audience, the whole experience was an object lesson in collaboration among people who are making their way outside their own society.
“I started as just one person, but people with different skills all came to help,” he said after the screening. “It was worth it.”


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Zhao Yuanyuan (right) takes her son to a community-organised IMAX screening of Chinese blockbuster Ne Zha 2 in the US state of Maryland. Similar screenings have been organiser elsewhere in the United States. Photo: AP

A cinema-goer picks up a ticket styled like a Chinese scroll painting for a screening of blockbuster Ne Zha 2 organised by Sun Bohan (left) and prepares to sign a scroll. Photo: AP

Zhao Yuanyuan taking a picture of her son at a community-organised screening of Ne Zha 2. Photo: AP

An audience member taking a selfie with Hoff Xu, who cosplayed a character before a screening of Ne Zha 2. Photo: AP

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Across the US, in big cities and small towns, Chinese communities arrange IMAX screenings of Chinese blockbuster; some watching in costume


Across the US, in big cities and small towns, Chinese communities arrange IMAX screenings of Chinese blockbuster; some watching in costume.


Chinese language cinema

Asian cinema: Chinese films

Chinese overseas

United States