Netflix buys Chinese sci-fi hit ‘The Wandering Earth’

International online streaming giant, Netflix has has bought rights to Chinese smash hit sci-fi “The Wandering Earth”. This film is pitched as China’s first mainstream sci-fi film. It is based on the adaptation of a 2000 novella of the same name by the godfather of Chinese sci-fi, Liu Cixin.

The film tells the story of people working together to save the planet from our aged, imploding sun by moving it with giant thrusters to another solar system.

Jerry Zhang, manager of content acquisition at Netflix, told, “Netflix is committed to providing entertainment lovers with access to a wide variety of global content”.

“With its high-quality production and story-telling, we believe that ‘The Wandering Earth’ will be loved by sci-fi fans around the world”, he further added.

The film is directed and written by Frant Gwo. It features a cast including Qu Chuxiao, Li Guangjie, Ng Man-tat, and Zhao Jinmai, with a special appearance by Wu Jing.

“The movie is a majestic feast for the eyes with massive production scale rarely seen in Mandarin films,” Netflix said.

“Its post-production and special effects work spanned two years, undergoing more than 3,000 conceptual designs, and featuring over 10,000 specifically built props, while employing an impressive 2,000 special effects shots and a substantial amount of computer graphics shots.”

Netflix till yet has not shared the releasing date for “The Wandering Earth” on its platform.

To be noted, Netflix does not operate in China, as the local regulations have barred its entry. But, Netflix is slowly adding Mandarin-language content in its list through the production of original series and through acquisitions.