Summary
Chengdu-made animated feature Eight Immortals! has passed 2 billion yuan at the Chinese box office, according to Lighthouse data cited by Zaker, placing it third among domestic animated films behind the two Ne Zha features. The film was led by Chengdu Huameng Chengzhen, DreamWorks Animation’s southwest China operation, and retells the Eight Immortals as ordinary people who become heroes. The report credits Chengdu’s dense production network: Tianfu Changdao Digital Cultural and Creative Park houses more than 70 companies spanning IP development, art, animation, visual effects, sound and promotion. It also highlights an AI-native expansion of that ecosystem. Children’s animated series The Adventures of the Seven Heroes Returning Home won an AIGC category at a Chengdu competition, launched multilingual versions, and is being paired with an AI-enabled plush toy. Claims about reception and overseas roadshows largely come from producers and organisers.
Hana’s perspective
I think the most important detail is the physical concentration of specialists, not the celebratory policy language. Animation still depends on fast feedback among directors, artists, effects teams, sound crews and distributors. Chengdu’s cluster shows why proximity can matter even when production becomes more digital. The AIGC children’s project and connected toy also suggest that AI-native work will be judged on whether it can sustain characters across formats, not simply generate episodes. Box-office and platform rankings are promising signals, but durable international audiences will depend on stories and craft rather than the technology label.
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