Chinese Animation Epic 'Eight Immortals' Becomes a Surprise Hit

Among the dozens of films currently showing in Chinese cinemas, one unlikely title has quietly become the talk of moviegoers: an animated feature called Eight Immortals (八仙！), which has earned a score of 8.2 out of 10 on Douban, China’s most influential film review platform. In a market where a rating above 8 is considered exceptional and often signals strong word-of-mouth, that number has turned a modestly promoted film into the most buzzed-about release of the moment.

The film draws on one of China’s best-known folk legends. The Eight Immortals are a group of Taoist figures, each with a distinct personality and magical power, who appear throughout centuries of Chinese storytelling, opera and art. Directed by Mu Zhengyang (牟正洋) and featuring voice performances from Chen Hao, Li Shaozhe and Lidong, the 144-minute film is part of a broader wave of Chinese animation that looks to classical mythology rather than Western-style fantasy for its source material.

That strategy has paid off before. The 2019 blockbuster Ne Zha and its 2025 sequel showed that homegrown animated films rooted in traditional tales could compete with Hollywood imports at the Chinese box office. Eight Immortals arrives in a similar spirit, though with a smaller budget and a more niche following. Its success so far appears driven less by marketing than by audiences recommending it to friends and family.

Douban ratings are a closely watched barometer in China’s film industry. Because the site’s users tend to be younger, urban and relatively critical, a score above 8 is rare and can extend a film’s theatrical life by weeks. By contrast, several other new releases are struggling: the thriller Dead Zone Footage sits at 4.6, the disaster sequel Fall 2: Dead Point at 5.5, and the action film A Working Man at 5.7. Even the star-studded corporate comedy Johnny Keep Walking! 2, with Zhang Ruoyun and Bai Ke, has only managed a 6.6.

International titles continue to draw steady audiences. Classics such as The Shawshank Redemption (9.7) and WALL-E (9.3) remain in cinemas, a reminder that Chinese moviegoers still embrace beloved foreign films. Meanwhile, a new Hong Kong-mainland co-production, Empty Gun, directed by Han Yan and starring Zhu Yilong, Tan Jianci and Tony Leung Ka-fai, has opened to a solid 7.2 across its 160-minute runtime.

What makes the animated hit notable is its timing. China’s animation studios have grown rapidly in technical skill over the past decade, and audiences have become more willing to pay for domestic stories told with local visual language. The Eight Immortals legend offers rich material: each character carries a symbolic object, from a sword to a fan to a gourd, and their stories touch on loyalty, humility and the pursuit of wisdom. Filmmakers have long seen it as fertile ground for a franchise.

For now, the film’s strongest asset is its reputation. With no major holiday release window behind it, Eight Immortals is relying on the same slow-burn pattern that has lifted other Chinese sleeper hits: strong reviews, social media discussion and repeat viewings. Whether it can translate that goodwill into a long theatrical run will depend on how widely that word of mouth spreads in the coming weeks.

For global audiences curious about China’s animation renaissance, the film offers an accessible entry point: a familiar adventure structure wrapped in a distinctly Chinese mythological world. It may not have the marketing muscle of a Hollywood tentpole, but its reception shows that stories told from a local tradition can still resonate far beyond their expected niche.