Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms
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Movie Details
| Chinese title | 封神第一部：朝歌風雲 |
| Also known as | 封神第一部：朝歌风云; Feng Shen 1: Zhaoge Feng Yun; Creation of the Gods; Phong Thần 1: Tam Bộ Khúc (Vietnam) |
| Based on | Investiture of the Gods by Xu Zhonglin |
| Country | China |
| Language | Mandarin |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy |
| Release date | July 20, 2023 (China) |
| Running time | 2hr 28min |
| Starring | Fei Xiang, Li Xuejian, Huang Bo, Yu Shi, Chen Muchi, Narana Erdyneeva, Xia Yu |
| Directed by | Wuershan |
| Written by | Ran Ping, Ran Jianan, Wuershan, Cao Sheng |
| Produced by | Du Yang, Wuershan, William Kong, Barrie M. Osborne |
| Cinematography by | Wang Yu |
| Edited by | Ka-Fai Cheung, Yuan Du, Shuo Huang |
| Music by | Gordy Haab |
| Art Direction by | Bao-Rong Huang, Sheng Qiu, Tim Yip, Cheng Zhang |
| Special Effects by | Sagar Dabir |
| Costume Design by | Tim Yip |
| Production Company | Tencent Pictures Beijing Jingxi Culture & Tourism Mongketengri Pictures Dongyang Mongketengri Film & TV Production Tianjin Maoyan Weiying Cultural Media Shanghai Tencent Penguin Pictures Qingdao Haifa Pictures |
| Distributor | Beijing Jingxi Culture & Tourism Huaxia Film Distribution |
Cast & Characters
- Yu Shi as Ji Fa — the second son of Ji Chang and the future leader of the Xizhou, who served as a hostage-son and royal guard of Yin Shou, also the narrator of the story
- Fei Xiang as King Yin Shou — the second prince and later King of the Shang dynasty
- Li Xuejian as Duke Ji Chang — the lord of Xiqi and Duke of the West, and father of Ji Fa
- Huang Bo as Jiang Ziya — a Kunlun monk who is entrusted the Investiture Scroll, later becomes the chief strategist of Xiqi
- Narana Erdyneeva as Consort Su Daji — the concubine of Yin Shou, whose body is possessed by a nine-tailed fox
- Chen Muchi as Prince Yin Jiao — Yin Shou’s only son and crown prince of Shang dynasty
- Xia Yu as Shen Gongbao — a rival monk to Jiang Ziya who came to serve King Shou as a magical strategist
- Yuan Quan as Queen Jiang — Yin Shou’s wife and queen consort, and Yin Jiao’s mother
- Wang Luoyong as Bi Gan — Yin Shou’s uncle and the High Priest of Shang dynasty
- Yang Le as Bo Yikao — the eldest son and heir of Ji Chang, and brother to Ji Fa
- Ci Sha as Yang Jian — a nephew-disciple to Jiang Ziya, who specializes in water magics
- Wu Yafan as Nezha — a nephew-disciple to Jiang Ziya, who specializes in fire magics
- Hou Wenyuan as Chong Yingbiao — the hostage-son of the Duke of the North, and fellow royal guard and bitter rival to Ji Fa
- Huang Xiyan as Jiang Wenhuan — the hostage-son of the Duke of the East, a fellow royal guard to Ji Fa
- Li Yun Rui as E Shun — the hostage-son of the Duke of the South, a fellow royal guard to Ji Fa
- Xu Huanshan as King Yi — Yin Shou’s estranged royal father
- Gao Shuguang as Yin Qi — Yin Shou’s estranged elder brother and the previous crown prince of Shang dynasty
Storyline
Based on the most well-known classical fantasy novel of China, Fengshenyanyi, the trilogy is a magnificent eastern high fantasy epic that recreates the prolonged mythical wars between humans, immortals and monsters, which happened more than three thousand years ago.—Darius
About Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms Movie
Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms (封神第一部：朝歌风云) is a Chinese epic fantasy film directed by Wuershan. The first film in the Creation of the Gods trilogy, adapted from the 16th-century fantasy novel Investiture of the Gods written by the Ming dynasty author Xu Zhonglin, it features an ensemble cast, including Fei Xiang, Li Xuejian, Huang Bo, Yu Shi, Chen Muchi, Narana Erdyneeva, and Xia Yu.
During pre-production, with began in September 2016, the director went to America and New Zealand to visit notable special effects companies and post-production companies, including Industrial Light & Magic, Weta Digital, Weta Workshop and Park Road Post Production. He also consulted creative experiences with producers such as Peter Jackson, Barrie M. Osborne, and Grant Hill, and finally formed an international production team.
The cast of Kingdom of Storms was selected from more than 1,400 people from 15,000 global auditions, and then interviewed by the director Wuershan himself, and finally selected more than 20 young actors to enter the performance camp for six months of training.
Principal photography for the film started on September 9, 2018, and took place in Qingdao, Shandong, primarily in the studios of the Oriental Movie Metropolis.
The film features 2,400 shots, including 1,800 VFX shots, and was filmed back-to-back with the rest of the trilogy over 438 days with A/B units.
The final project used an important amount of computer-generated visual effects. It was made with a team of over 8000 people for pre-production and filming, followed by 1500 people for post-production and visual effects.
Sequels
The two sequel films of the trilogy, Demon Force and Creation Under Heaven, were due to be released in 2024 and 2025, but the release of Demon Force was delayed due to the complexity of the visual effects.
The second film will focus on Xiqi’s defense against Shang’s attack, while the third film features Xiqi’s counterattack, eventual victory and establishment of the Zhou dynasty.
Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms Release Date
Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms was released on July 20, 2023 in China. Following its success in China, the film was released in the United States by Well Go USA on September 22, 2023, and internationally from 2023 to 2024.
Budget & Box Office Collection
| Budget | ¥800 million ($110.3 million) |
| Worldwide Collection | $369.1 million |
Where to Watch Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms Movie Online?
Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms was released for digital download on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes and Vudu, and on Blu-ray and DVD, by Well Go USA Entertainment on May 28, 2024. It was also released on Netflix in certain regions.