Creation of the Gods makes epic return

A pioneer in visualizing the fantastic and magical worlds of Chinese mythology, Wuershan has devoted the most golden decade of his career to a single project.

Since deciding in 2014 to bring the grand spectacle of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) novel Fengshen Yanyi (The Investiture of the Gods) to life, the director has poured his passion and energy into Creation of the Gods, one of the most ambitious cinematic projects in the world's second-largest movie market.

Planned as a trilogy, the films also draw inspiration from Wuwang Fazhou Pinghua (King Wu Resists King Zhou), a novel written during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Both tales detail a war 3,000 years ago to overthrow a tyrant, during which celestial beings and demons joined forces with humans.

A casting call was held between 2017 and 2018 to select young actors from a pool of 10,000 candidates. To prepare for their roles, they underwent six months of intensive training in skills ranging from horseback riding to martial arts stunts. The three films were shot consecutively to reduce costs and maintain continuity, such as avoiding changes to appearance, especially of the child actors.

In 2023, the first installment, Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms, rocked the summer market, raking in 2.63 billion yuan ($363.24 million) at the box office as a result of its captivating storytelling and engaging character arcs. It was also screened in 160 countries and regions around the world.

The highly anticipated sequel returned to the silver screen during the Spring Festival holiday in China and 17 other countries and regions, including France and Singapore.