Tag: China

Wang Yibo’s Next Movie is Born to Fly in April According to Latest Reports

Born to Fly is Wang Yibo’s next film, and despite being pulled, early criticism and comparisons to Top Gun: Maverick, what’s planned and revealed so far looks terrific.

Born to FlyJust when fans of Wang Yibo can’t get enough of him in Hidden Blade, this heartthrob will soar into theatres again with Born to Fly (长空之王) come late April. It was originally slated for release last year in China during the month of September, but it was pulled. Not every media outlet said it was postponed.

A lot of reports suggested this work shares similar DNA with Top Gun: Maverick (including Hollywood Reporter). However, I suspect the producers pulled it to edit the story so that it’s not in verbatim. Oscar Wilde said, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness,” and I have no problems with this direction.

I’m sure the digital special effects were an enormous concern too. According to Radii.co, the feature was delayed to fix those sequences. That is, the producers want those aerial moments look as authentic as possible. This sequences we’re shown shows the limits China’s latest technological advance can soar, and yes, I have Van Halen’s song “Dreams” playing in my head when watching the movie trailer.

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Are We Ready to Run 3000 Miles of Chang’an?

Light Chaser Animation’s 3000 Miles of Chang’an is slated for release this Summer, and it’ll be different from their previous works.

3000 Miles of Chang'an Light Chaser Animation‘s upcoming 3000 Miles of Chang’an is a radical departure from their New Gods line of films, and it’s only a mere six or seven months away from release! In what I could dig up about this upcoming title is that the story will focus on a different aspect of Chinese History. Instead of focusing on further heroics from characters from classic folklore, what this latest tale will deal with is brotherly love, and the life and times of two famous poets.

Perhaps the switch is for the better. As much as I love to see further adventures from Ne Zha and Yang Jian from the New Gods series of films, perhaps they are meant to be sunsetted in favour for further tales to expound on a world today’s Chinese children don’t know about.

Although the tease at the end of New Gods: Yang Jian suggested Monkey will get to tell his story about those times from his persepctive, I suspect that won’t happen anytime soon.

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When Carmilla Arrives on a Dark Horse During Lunar New Year!

Sheridan le Fanu’s Carmilla gets a modern Chinese spin by Amy Chu and Soon Lee.

Carmilla
Available in comic shops and book stores near you. Coming soon onAmazon USA, Feb 84, 2023

Dark Horse Comics Berger Books Imprint
Spoiler Alert

Amy Chu and Soon Lee’s reinterpretation on Sheridan le Fanu’s Carmilla is all kinds of wonderful. Not only do we get a modern interpretation from a Chinese perspective but also Lee’s auburn design on the pages where it flashbacks, alluding to the original prose, is beautiful. Here, the vampire is named Violet, and the place she makes her base of operation may be named after the famous vampire we all know.

Here, Athena is a social worker wishing she can do more for those struggling to survive in Manhattan. Her life is okay, but it seems something is holding her back. When one of her patients turns up dead, she investigates in true Kolchak fashion and what she finds in that nightclub goes beyond simply confronting some pimp. She becomes enamoured, and as a lesbian herself, she understands what’s going on. But after meeting Violet, there’s more than meets the eye not only about this seductress but also this nightmare that soon unfolds.

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Countdown to Launch and Sending Wandering Earth 2 the Stars

In the second movie, simply titled Wandering Earth 2, we see three tales unfold in this prequel.

Wandering Earth 2

Well Go USA
Now Playing in Theatres
(Please check local listings)

The prequel to Wandering Earth (movie review here) won’t be lost to everyone. In the second movie, simply titled Wandering Earth 2, we see three tales unfold in this prequel. One concerns the geo-political wrangling required to get the Moving Mountain Project going. The second is about who are the pilots of the upgraded International Space Station which will help guide the planet’s sojourn into deep space. And last, dealing with the detractors who are resisting the locations where the rockets are built.

What this story lacks are original names given to these projects. It’s a minor quibble since like today’s studios who hide the name of the production while filming, nobody is supposed to figure the final title of the project. I enjoyed the first movie because it reminded me of other rescue humanity features. Plus, the theme of any Lunar New Year movie is to be positive during a difficult time. To save a planet requires food for thought, which this film offers plenty of!

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New Gods Yang Jian. All the Trailers You Can Find and Sequel News

Light Chaser Animation’s next production, New Gods Yang Jian will be out in North America just in time for Chinese New Year 2023!

New Gods Yang JianAnyone keeping track of Light Chaser Animation’s next production New Gods Yang Jian will be glad it’s getting a global release just in time for Chinese New Year 2023! It originally debuted in China back in August, to steller reviews and beating out Minions: Rise of Gru.

GKIDS released an American-side trailer yesterday, and it puts the focus back on the titular hero when compared to the other teasers offered so far.

People who read Creation of the Gods or Journey to the West (Amazon USA links) know this hero is named Erlang Shen, a god of justice. This immortal has superhuman strength and a third eye, which allows him to see the truth. This includes seeing through the deception made by magic and outright verbal lies. In this film, it looks like he’s chosen to seal away his gift than to use it. That’s because, like Superman, he can use it emit a ray of fire (laser) at his enemies! It’s too powerful and quite often, he’s been holding back. This immortal knows when to pull his punches, and as for how he feels when serving the will of others, his superiors, it seems he has reservations.

When he used his abilities in a huge battle to bury Lotus Peak under more than one mountains worth of rock, perhaps he became even more aware of the dreaded power he wields, and thus decided to leave heaven.

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