With The 8 Immortals Present, All Wishes Come True, Whether They’re Ready or Not for the Punchline

Although the tales of the 8 Immortals are part of the narrative in works like “The Journey to the East” and “Yellow-Millet Dream,” to give them their own animated special in All Wishes Come True gives newcomers a glimpse at what they’re capable of, and it’s a great adventure to boot too!

All Wishes Come True Movie PosterSpoiler Alert

I find Cineplex Movies‘ lack of faith disturbing. When All Wishes Come True! (八仙; lit. translation: The 8 Immortals) isn’t getting an even distribution across North America, and the chain may not be confident it can draw regular crowds in Canada. I can’t say I blame them. Nor can I speak to how the film is performing in other parts of the world. Usually, unless a Chinese production has a big name like Jackie Chan that audiences recognize, crowds aren’t guaranteed to flock to it. For writer/director Zhengyang Mu, a relative unknown, perhaps the film needs new posters that read, “From the studio that brought you Kung Fu Panda 3 and Abominable…”

That might help folks who are unsure about the film decide to see it. A few moments echo Pearl Studio‘s previous work and DreamWorks‘ design philosophy, making this movie an easier sell. The humour is evident, and everyone understands the Ocean’s Eleven reference. Who doesn’t want to see that? There’s also the promise of an animated action-adventure about the Eight Immortals, technically soon-to-be immortals, who must prove their worth as new heroes while the current ruling dynasty sorts itself out. This introduction establishes how they rose through the ranks and challenged the norm.

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Our Ultimate Guide is Here! Spotlighting All The Essential Fantasia Film Festival 2026 Shorts You Can’t Miss

Fantasia Film Festival 2026’s shorts programs reveal a strong thread of folklore, mythology, cultural traditions, and strange discoveries. And in part one of a week long guide, we dive into which works we’re very eager to see:

Fantasia Film Festival 2026 poster
Event runs from July 16 to August 2, 2026. Montreal, Quebec.

In addition to a lot of cake, I believe Fantasia Film Festival 2026 has plenty of other treats in store for those headed to Montreal! Not only is this the festival’s 30th anniversary, but the programmers have pulled out all the stops to make every section feel special. Returning favourites like Hayop Ka! (review link) appear in the retro lineup, while three outstanding documentaries celebrate the craft of filmmaking. And yes, I’m sure plenty of fans will be cheering for The Origins of Ultraman too!

Before I get to my top twenty picks of the festival, I want to shine a spotlight on the various short film programs. While I haven’t had the chance to see every entry yet, I’ll be keeping an eye on YouTube and other streaming platforms to see which shorts become available internationally after the festival. Great discoveries don’t always come through the festival circuit alone. Sometimes they’re quietly waiting to be found online by those willing to dig a little deeper.

Along with a summary of each film, I’ve marked the title that has my attention with an image. Together, these selections reveal one of the biggest trends I noticed this year: folklore, mythology, and cultural traditions are woven throughout many of Fantasia’s short film programs.

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Annecy 2026: Top Ten Picks on What To Look Out For

From steampunk anime and folk fantasy to surreal satire, musical odysseys, and unsettling horror from around the world, Annecy 2026 promises to have a bit of everything for fans of animation. That includes previews on upcoming streaming series.

annecy 2026Every year, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival offers a fantastic glimpse into what’ll be headed to theatres, streaming or television soon. While not everything will be made available for other regions, especially with European made works, I’m always holding out hope. At Annecy 2026, this year’s selections have me excited. From steampunk alternate histories and existential animated satire to folk fantasy and deeply personal musical odysseys. Several projects also continue the growing trend of international co-productions blending artistic traditions from Europe and Asia in ways that feel genuinely fresh.

Here are some of the standout titles currently catching our attention.

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Light Chaser Animation’s Liao Zhai Lan Ruo Si (聊斋兰若寺) May Well Be Ghosted By Western Distributors, and ….

….it’s easy to see why changes to this narrative is struggling to be visible outside of China. Strange Tales (Liao Zhai Lan Ruo Si) is borrowing from tropes some may say are outdated but not everyone will agree to that accessment.

Liao Zhai Lan Ruo SiLight Chaser Animation

After countless searches and a properly worded query to Claude AI about availability, the elusive Liao Zhai Lan Ruo Si (聊斋兰若寺 or Curious Tales of a Temple, aka Strange Tales: Lan Ruo Temple) is finally within reach. When it will receive an official release remains uncertain. In a future article, I’ll explore the challenges behind getting Ne Zha 2, White Snake: Afloat, and this work to home video. For now, wht’s offered are my early reactions.

What I’ve managed to see in the wilds of the Internet suggests this is a film worth watching. I won’t dive into a full review just yet, but it’s worth sharing some early impressions. As for how long this fleeting upload remains available is anyone’s guess.

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Finally Watching White Snake Afloat! A Touching Review and the Quest to Find This Lost Tale of Love

Although there’s still no proper North American release for Light Chaser Animation’s White Snake Afloat, thankfully eBay has come to the rescue! And I got info regarding the two types of Blu-ray releases available. Meanwhile Warner Brothers Malaysia is handling distro.

White Snake Afloat in this package releaseThe home video release of Light Chaser Animation’s White Snake Afloat is now available in China and select surrounding regions. When I saw a limited edition box set released back in December, I wanted to buy it—but I didn’t have the funds saved.

Fast forward to now: it’s still attainable through eBay, albeit at nearly double its original retail price. Unfortunately, it’s not listed on official English-language retailers like YesAsia or Amazon, and Light Chaser hasn’t made it available on international streaming platforms either. For those willing to pay a premium, the set is a visual treat. It features beautifully illustrated packaging and includes a bonus booklet. While I hoped for additional extras, it appears that beyond the artwork, there’s little else included. Still, I’m relieved the Blu-ray comes with English subtitles.

As for whether Bianca’s (White Snake’s) journey concludes in this final chapter, I’d say yes. Her arc comes full circle. However, I hope the Fox Demon’s story continues. Her subplot remains unresolved and full of potential. She’s a manipulator, often acting as a mysterious merchant of souls across all three films. But just who she’s serving—and why—remains unanswered.

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In Dragonkeeper, Why Is There Only One Protector?

Part of the charm in Dragonkeeper is because of Ping. She’s a character whom some may associate with Ray from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Dragonkeeper DVD Case
Available to purchase on Amazon USA

Shout! Studios

Ping (Lucía Pérez) is the Dragonkeeper, and if she’s to help Danzi (Mario Gas), an elder oriental dragon, she better learn how to train the next generation too! That’s because someone asked her to deliver an egg to a magical pool so it can hatch. As for whether this baby will bond to the human, that’d be saying too much.

Although the choice to have mostly European voices instead of Chinese for this production is very unusual, all I had to do was imagine Michelle Yeoh and James Hong’s voice over what’s heard. Technically, the British/Australian casting isn’t out of place when considering who wrote the book. Carole Wilkinson is an Australian whose series did quite well when it was released down under. I suspect the producers wanted to keep this flavour.

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