LONDON, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Chinese animated blockbuster "Ne Zha 2" is set to make its debut in the European market, with its first stop in London, UK, on March 14, according to the Europe-wide distributor Trinity CineAsia.

Trinity CineAsia said in a press release that it has acquired the theatrical distribution rights from Beijing Enlight Media for "Ne Zha 2" across 37 territories, including the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, and many more across Europe.

"Ne Zha 2," the No. 1 box office animated film of all time, has shattered global box office records and is set to open in the UK and Ireland on March 21, with previews from March 14. Other European releases will follow soon after.

Before the distributor officially announced the release through the press, several cinema chains had already opened advance ticket sales on March 7, which garnered an enthusiastic response from local audiences.

The European debut of "Ne Zha 2" is scheduled for March 14 at London's BFI IMAX, home to the UK's largest IMAX screen.

The scale of the film's release in the UK is "particularly impressive," with screenings scheduled across 100 cities in the UK and Ireland during the pre-view, expected to be shown in over 250 cinemas, including 50 IMAX screens.

"This scale is exceptionally rare in the history of overseas distribution for Chinese-language films," said the distribution company.

Rooted in 16th-century Chinese mythology with a bold reinterpretation, "Ne Zha 2" was crafted over five years by a team of 4,000 animators and has become the world's highest-grossing animated film.

Cedric Behrel, managing director of Trinity CineAsia said in a statement, "Rarely do you get a film that truly defines the era, shows again the unique power of cinema to move audiences, and makes an indelible mark on culture. This is Ne Zha 2."

The Chinese animated epic has surpassed "Inside Out 2," and became the first non-Hollywood production to crack the global all-time top 10 box office chart.

The film has also achieved the milestone of grossing 1 billion U.S. dollars in a single market, China, where it was released on Jan. 29. It has become the first non-Hollywood film to exceed 2 billion U.S. dollars in global earnings, including presales, according to data from ticketing platform Maoyan.■