The Light Chaser Animation Studios (an animation studio based in Beijing) served fans a thrilling White Snake sequel, White Snake 2: The Tribulation of the Green Snake, on Friday. The animation film recorded striking success more than its predecessor, rising to the top of the box office.
The White Snake adapts a Chinese folktale, the Legend of the White Snakes. It follows the love story of a white-snake demon and a snake hunter Xuan. Blanca embarks on a mission to assassinate the general, which leads to a battle.
While in the battle, she submerges in water, losing her memory as she tries to be disguised as a human woman. Xuan then rescues and takes her to his home, Snake Catcher Village, where villagers hunt snakes for the general as it is believed snakes aid in immortality.
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The Power of Love
Xuan’s and Blanca’s love is tested as they are from two rival worlds. The two have to overcome multiple challenges besides having different origins, like Blanca’s dementia, fighting with their loved ones, and the general.
The title portrays Blanca as a Chinese version of Disney’s princess though she is not as compelling or sympathetic as the heroines. She is also not as smitten with love as other Disney princesses, as Xuan is extremely selfless and dedicated to her. He goes to the point of transforming from being human to the weakest snake demon just to sustain their love.
The White Snake married humanoid characters like the talking dog with vividly rendered surroundings like the mountain with waterfalls and mist. The film is visually appealing with incredible plots.
The Film’s Reception
The title, which was released five months before Ne Zha, a superior Chinese fantasy film, was launched in mainland China in July 2019. While it did not hit the 5 billion Yuan mark like Ne Zha, White Snake raked in $61.6 million gross, which is a good amount.
White Snake
White Snake’s sequel, White Snake 2: The Tribulation of the Green Snake, invited more attention, rising to the top of the box office in a weekend. However, unlike its predecessor, which was produced by two producers, White Snake 2: Green Snake had one producer, Cui Di.
White Snake’s Reception
This did not stop the sequel from raking in a $29.7 million debut. Moreover, it earned $2.6 million from Imax screens in China, accounting for 9.1% of the gross weekend sales. That is the highest indexing a local animated film in China has received, making it more successful than Ne Zha.
White Snake Overview
The sequel begins with an epic scene where two snakes summon a flood to confront monk Fa Hai who wants to hunt them down. Unfortunately, they become overwhelmed by the monk’s power and fail. As a result, the white snake is imprisoned in Leifeng Pagoda while the green snake falls into a weird but fantastic world called Asuraville.
The green snake then embarks on a journey to escape from Asuraville. In a world where modern and ancient architecture co-exists, she encounters villains and monsters whom she has to fight. She also has to put up with the obsession of trying to find her lost sister, the white snake.
Thoughts from the Crew Behind the Green Snake Sequel
Apart from the incredible opening scene that was challenging for the crew to create, the title also contains an amazing duel scene that Amp Wong, the director, admitted is very rare in the world. The film’s launch congregated the main creators and actress Angie Chiu of the hit TV series The Legend of White Snake (1992) and received much praise from critics and the audience.
“Today, I’m so proud to see such a high-level animated film, and China is advancing in this field,” Angie Chiu stated. Of course, she has many fans amongst the crew, and Wong said he drew inspiration from the TV series and her. He even went ahead to borrow a nostalgic song from The Legend of the White Snake (1992) series, which he incorporated into the sequel.
Once more Light Chaser Studios utilized a video-game-like aesthetic to narrate the tale that dates back to the Tang dynasty. The tale follows two snakes who gain powers after achieving immortality and been transformed into women. They then encounter trials after one of them falls in love with a mortal who later discovers her snake identity.
What Do Viewers Think of White Snake
Based on more than 27,000 reviews, the film boasts a 7.2 out of 10 ratings on the Douban platform. According to Maoyan, White Snake 2: The Tribulation of the Green Snake is estimated to complete China’s box office with over 500 million yuan.
The ever-improving studio Light Chaser’s hard work cannot go unnoticed as it continues to create more exhilarating films with great features. From integrating great ideas to producing a top-quality title, no wonder White Snake 2: The Tribulation of the Green Snake earned the first position in the box office.
If you have not had your share of the White Snake 2: Green Snake yet, you may want to grab some popcorn and enjoy the adventure. To catch more updates on top and trending animated films, stay tuned to this site!
