Is the runtime 143 or 144 minutes?
Both figures can accurately describe the currently listed feature. Fandango gives 2 hours 23 minutes, and Landmark, HOYTS and Event Cinemas list 143 minutes. Mainland pages often use approximately 144 minutes. Databases may round, count logos differently or receive metadata from different distribution feeds.
A one-minute discrepancy is not evidence of censorship or a special international cut. A version claim needs more than two rounded database fields; it needs a comparison of actual start and end points or a distributor statement.
Editorial visualWhy is the animated film over 140 minutes long?
Charles Solomon asked the filmmakers about the length in Animation Scoop's September 24, 2026 interview. Director Mu Zhengyang and Pearl Studio CEO Catherine Yin said animation need not follow a fixed running-time limit: the story should determine its length. This explains their creative approach, not a guarantee that every viewer will enjoy a long film.
For booking, use your cinema's listed duration and your own comfort with a lengthy screening. The spoiler-free plot guide introduces the ensemble; the parents' guide helps assess whether a child is ready for the visit.
What about the older 130-minute listing?
Some market databases displayed 130 minutes before or around release. Australian chains later converged on 143 minutes, making a placeholder, delayed sync or data-entry issue more plausible than a 13-minute local cut. The old number remains useful as an update trail, not as the current booking estimate.
If a local cinema still shows 130 minutes, ask the cinema which distribution file it is using and compare the actual feature start and credit end. Do not infer missing scenes from the listing alone.
Official public materialHow much time should you allow at the cinema?
The advertised start can be followed by local advertisements and trailers. Add entry, trailers, the 143–144-minute feature and your exit time; a cinema visit can approach three hours. Families should consider attention span, subtitle reading, food, bathroom planning and late transport.
To estimate a finish, use the cinema's own expected end time when available. Simply adding 143 minutes to the ticket time can underestimate the evening.
How to compare versions responsibly
Record the country, cinema, date, language label, listed runtime, feature start and final-credit end. Comparing only total time inside the auditorium mixes trailers with the movie.
Multiple consistent observations may justify a new investigation. One screenshot without a date, venue and version label does not.
Sources and evidence policy
Film facts are checked against attributable interviews, official film information and active cinema or distributor pages. A source can support only the field it actually states.