by Xinhua writer Zhang Yunlong
BEIJING, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- "After much anticipation, 'Creation of the Gods II' is finally scheduled!" wrote one thrilled Weibo user, echoing the collective excitement of eager fans.
Celebrating the epic's return to China's box office after an initial summer release plan was dropped due to reported post-production delays, a poster on Weibo declared, "The saga continues, the myth endures -- fans' calls have been answered."
Unsurprisingly, news of "Creation of the Gods II" -- the second installment in director Wuershan's highly-anticipated trilogy -- securing a Spring Festival release on Lunar New Year's Day, Jan. 29, 2025, shot to the top of Weibo's trending topics, setting the stage for what could be a blockbuster holiday season.
The first installment, "Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms," made waves at the 2023 box office, grossing 2.63 billion yuan (around 369 million U.S. dollars) and winning three Golden Rooster awards, including Best Feature Film.
This second chapter raises the stakes with the city of Xiqi under siege and a climactic showdown over the "Fengshen Bang," a mythical roster that bestows godhood upon worthy figures and serves as an artifact of immense power central to the film's mythos.
Wuershan's commitment to the "Creation of the Gods" series spans over a decade, with script development beginning in June 2014. The director and his team have woven the Chinese myths into every detail, drawing from ancient texts, paintings, and artifacts to craft a unique cinematic aesthetic, according to a statement from the film's producers.
"I've dedicated a decade of my life to this project," he said in a video interview. "With age, I may not have the physical capacity to take on such an intense production again, so I gave it my all."
The "Creation of the Gods II" production team touts the film's extensive visual effects, calling it a project "born for the big screen." Featuring epic visuals, the first film resonated with audiences globally, with French media hailing it as the "Chinese Lord of the Rings."
"Creation of the Gods" is frequently discussed alongside Guo Fan's "The Wandering Earth" series, with critics noting both as showcasing the highest standards of industrial production in Chinese cinema.
"Filming for the trilogy spanned 18 months, with nearly 10,000 crew members working together across numerous technical departments," Wuershan explained. "It features large-scale battle scenes and high-level CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery), requiring an extraordinary level of coordination."
Also joining the Spring Festival lineup is "Boonie Bears: Future Reborn," marking the 11th year of this family-favorite franchise's release during the week-long Lunar New Year holiday.
Consistently drawing a stable fan base and amassing 7.7 billion yuan in total earnings to date, "Boonie Bears" is seen by cinema managers as a steady performer for the Spring Festival season and a reliable animated franchise.
The last release, "Boonie Bears: Time Twist," saw its revenue hit a 2-billion-yuan milestone in 106 days. "'Boonie Bears' is the most successful IP in China," noted Dong Wenxin, a cinema manager in east China's Shandong Province.
The latest installment, "Boonie Bears: Future Reborn," will deliver a fresh twist, taking characters Vick (Bald Qiang), Briar and Bramble 100 years into the future, where they join a young companion from this new world on a sci-fi adventure. This movie marks the finale of the franchise's five-part sci-fi arc.
Meanwhile, "Operation Leviathan," widely referred to as the sequel to the 2018 hit "Operation Red Sea," is generating anticipation as a potential addition to the lineup.
The new action movie, currently in post-production according to Bona Film Group chairman Yu Dong, could be a game-changer for the lucrative holiday moviegoing period. Its predecessor, "Operation Red Sea," topped box office charts for not only the Spring Festival holiday but also the entire year of 2018.
Fans are also watching closely to see if Chen Sicheng's new "Detective Chinatown" film, Tsui Hark's big-screen adaptation of Louis Cha's "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" novel, or Enlight Pictures' long-awaited sequel to the 2019 animated hit "Ne Zha" will join the lineup in the coming weeks. Even if only some of these high-profile titles make it to the 2025 Spring Festival slate, the season could easily become a "clash of the titans."
This year's Spring Festival holiday set a record with an 8 billion yuan haul. However, both the summer and National Day periods saw weaker-than-expected results, with analysts attributing it partly to a shortage of major releases. Understandably, this has heightened hopes for a vibrant Spring Festival to kick off 2025 on a high note. ■