Chinese Sci-Fi Epic ‘The Wandering Earth 2’ Set For UK, Ireland Release Through Trinity CineAsia

EXCLUSIVE: Trinity CineAsia has acquired UK and Ireland rights to Chinese sci-fi epic The Wandering Earth 2, which is scheduled for release on January 27, with previews running from January 22, day-and-date with its mainland China release.

The prequel to record-breaking sci-fi hit The Wandering Earth is being released in China over the Chinese New Year holidays (January 21-27), traditionally the country’s most lucrative box office period.

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Released in 2019, The Wandering Earth grossed $700M worldwide, including $6M at the US box office. The film is currently the fifth highest grossing in Chinese box office history and was streamed on Netflix in 190 countries in 2019.

While the first film saw humanity moving the earth away from a dying sun, the prequel follows the struggle to build huge engines on the planet’s surface to help the human race find a new home. The two films are based on a short novel by acclaimed sci-fi author Liu Cixin, the first-ever Chinese recipient of the Hugo Award, which was awarded for The Three-Body Problem trilogy, which is currently being adapted as an English-language series by Netflix.

The Wandering Earth 2 is again directed by Frant Gwo and stars Wu Jing (Wolf Warrior series), with Hong Kong star Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs series) joining the cast in a special appearance. The film is produced by China Film Co, Gwo’s G!Film Beijing Studio, Beijing Dengfeng International Culture and CFC Pictures.

“We’re thrilled to work with director Frant Gwo to release this high-budget, high-concept, sci-fi anticipation film based on the work of world-renowned author Liu Cixin,” said Trinity CineAsia director Cedric Behrel.

“The Wandering Earth 2 is shining a light on making this genre of film outside the classic studio system and is a significant step in showing how a massive undertaking of this scale, involving hundreds of sets, over 20,000 extras and 6,000 VFX shots can be met outside Hollywood.”

The Wandering Earth 2 is also being released in North America by Well Go USA on January 22.

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