''New Gods: Nezha Reborn'' () is a 2021 Chinese

3D animated Computer animation is the process used for digitally generating animations. The more general term computer-generated imagery (CGI) encompasses both static scenes (still images) and dynamic images (moving images), while computer animation refer ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...

directed by Zhao Ji and written by Mu Chuan, based on the character of

Nezha Nezha ( 哪吒) is a protection deity in Chinese folk religion. His official Taoist name is "Marshal of the Central Altar" (). He was then given the title "Third Lotus Prince" () after he became a deity. Origins According to Meir Shahar, Nezh ...

from the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

novel ''

Investiture of the Gods ''The Investiture of the Gods'', also known by its Chinese names () and is a 16th-century Chinese novel and one of the major vernacular Chinese works in the gods and demons (''shenmo'') genre written during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Cons ...

''. In the film, a

steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian era or ...

and

cyberpunk Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of lowlife and high tech", featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cyber ...

take on the story, Nezha is reincarnated as Li Yunxiang in the fictional city of Donghai (loosely based on 1920s Shanghai) and must settle a 3,000-year-old grudge with the Dragon Clan. '' New Gods: Yang Jian'' was released in 2022 as a sequel to this film. The film was released in

mainland China "Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...

on 12 February 2021 (

Chinese New Year Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Sinophone, Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly r ...

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

acquired global rights to the film except in China, and it was released on the platform on 12 April 2021. ''New Gods: Nezha Reborn'' is not related to the 2019 film ''

Ne Zha Nezha ( 哪吒) is a protection deity in Chinese folk religion. His official Taoist name is "Marshal of the Central Altar" (). He was then given the title "Third Lotus Prince" () after he became a deity. Origins According to Meir Shahar, Nez ...

''; they came from different production companies and have different distributors. ''New Gods: Nezha Reborn'' actually started production before ''Ne Zha'' did, but both films are loosely based on the same Ming Dynasty novel.

Plot

Three thousand years after Nezha fought the sea, Li Yunxiang, a young motorbike rider in Donghai City, discovers that he is Nezha reborn. Before he has mastered his powers, his old enemies appear, and he must settle a 3,000-year-old grudge with the Dragon Clan.

Voice cast

;Li Yunxiang :Voiced by: Yang Tianxiang (Mandarin), Stephen Fu (English) *The main protagonist. He is a smuggler and courier and current reincarnation of

;The Masked Man :Voiced by: Zhang He (Mandarin), Jason Ko (English) *A masked monkey who is believed to be the Six-Eared Macaque, but in reality, he is Sun Wukong the Monkey King. He is based on the Monkey King,

Sun Wukong The Monkey King, also known as Sun Wukong ( zh, t=孫悟空, s=孙悟空, first=t) in Mandarin Chinese, is a legendary mythical figure best known as one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel ''Journey to the West'' ( zh, ...

, from

Journey to the West ''Journey to the West'' () is a Chinese novel published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty and attributed to Wu Cheng'en. It is regarded as one of the greatest Classic Chinese Novels, and has been described as arguably the most popu ...

. ;Ao Guang :Voiced by: Xuan Xiaoming (Mandarin),

Andrew Kishino Andrew Kishino (born March 20, 1970) also known as Big Kish (formerly Kish), is a Canadian voice actor. Life and career Kishino is best known for his 1991 single "I Rhyme the World in 80 Days". The song was featured on his debut album, ''Orde ...

(English) *The main antagonist. He is the leader of the De Clan whose true identity is the

Dragon King The Dragon King, also known as the Dragon God, is a Chinese water and weather god. He is regarded as the dispenser of rain, commanding over all bodies of water. He is the collective personification of the ancient concept of the '' lóng'' in Ch ...

of the East Sea. ;Su Junzhu :Voiced by: Li Shimeng (Mandarin), Nicole Fong (English) *A doctor from Cijie hospital who enjoys competitive motorbike racing. Yunxiang's crush and lover. ;Kasha :Voiced by: Zhu Ke'er (Mandarin), Victoria Grace (English) *Yunxiang's childhood friend and a lounge singer. ;Ao Bing :Voiced by: King Zhenhe (Mandarin), Jonny Siew (English) *The son of Ao Guang and the Dragon Prince who was defeated by Nezha in the past. He controls ice-based powers. ;Li Jinxiang :Voiced by: Guo Haoran (Mandarin), Harrison Xu (English) *Yunxiang's older brother. He supports his brother's job as a courier despite their father's wishes. ;Donghai Yaksha :Voiced by: Gao Zengzhi (Mandarin), TBA (English) *Ao Guang's assistant.

Production

''New Gods: Nezha Reborn'' expands on the original story of

from the

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

novel ''

''. It was directed by Zhao Ji and produced by

Light Chaser Animation Studios Light Chaser Animation Studios () is a Chinese CG animation film studio based in Beijing, China. The studio was founded in early 2013 by Gary Wang, the founder and ex-CEO of the popular Chinese video sharing website Tudou.com. History In an i ...

, and it took four years to produce. Zhao Ji and Light Chaser previously collaborated on the 2019 film '' White Snake'', which features some of the same cast and crew. The

city of Donghai was designed based on a mixture of

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

in the 1920s and '30s and

Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...

–era

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

, according to Zhao.

Release

The film was originally scheduled for a summer 2020 release, but was delayed. In 2020 it was presented as a "work in progress" at the

Annecy International Animation Film Festival The Annecy International Animation Film Festival (french: Festival international du film d'animation d'Annecy, officially abbreviated in English as the Annecy Festival, or simply Annecy) was created in 1960 and takes place at the beginning of J ...

and released a promotional video. In August 2020, its first official trailer was released. On 10 October 2020, a promotional poster was released and the film's release was announced for 12 February 2021 (

). It was screened at IMAX theaters in China on 6 February 2021, with a second round of screenings on 9 February. In its opening weekend, the film grossed

US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

21.3 million.

has acquired streaming rights for the film outside of

, and it was released on the platform on 12 April 2021.

Reception

Critic Lim Yian Yu called the film "an interesting take" on the classic novel, and said it was "definitely a family-friendly movie that can be enjoyed by children and adults alike". Sun Jiayin praised the decision to bring the character of Nezha into a setting 3,000 years after the original story, saying that this made the film distinct from the plethora of other ''Investiture of the Gods'' adaptations out there.

Sequel

A prequel, '' New Gods: Yang Jian'', was released in 2022.

References

External links

* * * * {{Investiture of the Gods Light Chaser Animation Studios films 2020s Mandarin-language films 2021 computer-animated films Chinese animated films 2021 3D films 2021 adventure films 2021 action films Chinese action adventure films Chinese 3D films IMAX films Animated films based on Investiture of the Gods Animated cyberpunk films