Roundup: Chinese fantasy epic movie "Creation of The Gods I: Kingdom of Storms" hits North American big screen

by Xinhua writer Gao Shan

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- "Creation of The Gods I: Kingdom of Storms," the first film of a highly-anticipated Chinese live-action, fantasy epic movie trilogy, opened Friday in a limited theatrical release in North America.

The film is released by Well Go USA Entertainment in Mandarin with English subtitles in 140 selected theaters in nearly 50 cities across North America, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, Chicago, Miami, New York, Boston, Toronto, Vancouver and a few other cities with a large overseas Chinese population.

Directed by Chinese filmmaker Wuershan, the film boasts a star-studded cast, including actors Kris Phillips (known in China as Fei Xiang), Li Xuejian, Huang Bo and actress Yuan Quan.

The movie trilogy, based on the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) novel "Fengshen Yanyi," or "The Investiture of the Gods," the same book that inspired the 2019 Chinese animated hit "Ne Zha," tells the story of the fall of the Shang Dynasty and the rise of the Zhou Dynasty in the 11th century B.C. and the battles between gods, goddesses and mortals.

"Mythology carries warmth. Cinema conveys a message," said Wuershan in a video message, posted on Well Go USA's official Facebook page, to fans in the United States and Canada. He warmly invited moviegoers to the cinema "to experience this work of craftsmanship, start from nine years ago."

Wuershan told Xinhua earlier this month in an interview during the Venice International Film Festival that people from more than 20 countries and regions had been involved in the production of the trilogy.

"Chinese filmmakers should have more direct communication with global audiences, and more collaboration with filmmakers around the world," he told Xinhua.

"I believe stories about humanity share more similarities than differences, and I tried my best to make 'Creation of the Gods' as intelligible as possible for audiences regardless of their cultural backgrounds," he said, adding that using effective cinematic techniques to depict Chinese stories in an appealing way will help viewers appreciate the films in a cross-cultural context.

"The film is a visually stunning masterpiece that has electrified audiences across China. Its breathtaking visuals and captivating storytelling has created immense anticipation in North America and we are thrilled to be able to bring this to the U.S. and Canadian market," Doris Pfardrescher, president and CEO at Well Go USA Entertainment, told Xinhua.

"Fengshen Yanyi is one of the most well-known mythical novels in China," said Angel Wang, a moviegoer who watched the film in a preview in Arcadia of California on Wednesday.

"I read the novel several times in my childhood in China. With great acting, amazing scenery and stunning effects, this film is a fantastic film to learn about Chinese culture," she added.

"Creation of The Gods I: Kingdom of Storms" is a summer box office hit in China. The film has grossed over 2.61 billion yuan (around 357.6 million U.S. dollars) so far at the box office in the Chinese mainland, according to Maoyan, a Chinese movie-ticketing and film data platform.

It has received positive feedback from Chinese moviegoers with a rating of 9.4 points out of 10 from over 780,000 viewers on the Maoyan platform.