The current decade has seen China's film market rise to heights exceeded only by Hollywood; in 2017, box-office earnings grew nearly 13.45 percent year-on-year to a splendiferous 55.9 billion yuan ($8.6 billion). This bonanza has spurred massive investment and fueled out-sized ambitions.
One of the biggest projects in both those areas is "Legend of the Demon Cat" (Japanese title: "Ku-kai: Utsukushiki Ohi no Nazo"). Based on a four-volume novel by Baku Yumemakura that unfolds at the height of the Tang dynasty (618-907), this fantasy/mystery had a production budget of $170 million, much of which was spent on spectacular visual effects and a meticulous reconstruction of the ancient capital of Chang'an. Taking six years to build, this huge open set is scheduled to be converted into a theme park.
The creative engine behind this extravaganza — which opened in China in December and in Japan on Feb. 24 — is Chen Kaige. The 65-year-old director has won critical accolades in the West, including a Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1993 for his drama "Farewell My Concubine," but he is also known for historical/fantasy epics, such as "The Promise" (2005) and "Monk Comes Down the Mountain" (2015) that target larger mainstream audiences.