Animated film 'Ne Zha' smashes box office records

With word-of-mouth praise online, Ne Zha has also seen a rise in the number of screenings, a barometer of popularity. By Monday, the movie was set to be shown across 49 percent of China's nearly 65,000 screens-up from 33.5 percent on its debut day.

As the first ever Chinese animated film to be released in the Imax format, the film has also generated approximately 54 million yuan (including paid sneak preview screenings) in its opening weekend, setting a new Imax record for the best opening weekend of all animated films released in China.

Loosely based on the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) novel Fengshen Yanyi (The Investiture of the Gods), the film is about a mythological figure who fights against unfair destiny.

The 110-minute film, helmed by 1980s-born director Yang Yu, better known as Jiaozi ("dumpling"), offers a retelling of the household tale that will strike a chord with a modern Chinese audience.