A Brand New World for Sci-Fi in China
Often when sci-fi it is portrayed in cinema or literature it is used as a medium for speculating about possible future events based on adequate knowledge of the real world, past and present. Some say it is the improbable made possible and often used as an allegory or critique of the direction humanity is headed. Making it a super sneaky way to critique controversial issues without upsetting the hands that feed, but it's tricky to make a relevant film when it's just sci-fi for sci-fi's sake. This is what a new generation of filmmakers in China are possibly beginning to discover.
People's Daily has reported that it is the coming spring for Chinese sci-fi films. As of now there at least a dozen in production, all probably with a more Transformers focus as opposed to the more allegorical leaning of films like Scanners or even E.T..
But maybe we’re speaking to soon, considering these are such exciting times for Chinese cinema. With a consistent rising of interest with both investors and those at the head of the industry, there is bound to be something worth your patronage. One interesting film on the production table is The Three Body Problem, an adaptation of Liu Cixin's popular award winning series of books, which actually hits bookstores in America on November 11. Some people people are calling this China's answer to a sci-fi epic like Dune.
Until recently, there wasn't much interest in competing with the west, especially since these types of films always require large investments for quality set designs, costumes and especially realistic special effects. In the past moviegoers avoided everything sci-fi related coming out of China in fear that these films would just be inept knockoffs of western films.
