Highly-anticipated Chinese fantasy epic joins summer movie lineup

BEIJING, June 7 (Xinhua) -- "Creation of The Gods I: Kingdom of Storms," the first film of a highly-anticipated live-action, fantasy epic movie trilogy, has finalized its release date as July 20, joining the summer movie lineup.

The announcement via the film's official social media account on Tuesday came with a trailer. News of the trilogy has been online since 2019 and has been closely followed by moviegoers.

The movie boasts a star-studded cast, including actors Kris Phillips (known in China as Fei Xiang), Li Xuejian, Huang Bo, Xia Yu, Chen Kun and actress Yuan Quan, with Wuershan as the helmsman.

The movie trilogy is based on the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) novel "Fengshen Yanyi," or "The Investiture of the Gods," the same book that inspired the 2019 animated hit "Ne Zha."

"The Investiture of the Gods" is a work of fiction that weaves mythology and history into a compelling narrative that has captivated readers for centuries.

The novel tells the story of the fall of the Shang Dynasty and the rise of the Zhou Dynasty in the 11th century BC and the battles between gods, goddesses, and mortals. It has been adapted into various forms of media, such as stage plays, television dramas, and films.