‘Wandering Earth’ documentary shows versatility of Chinese sci-fi IPs
If some stellar Chinese Science Fiction (sci-fi) films were to be named, The Wandering Earth film series, would likely be the top choice of many fans.
The series' two episodes were released in 2019 and 2023, respectively. They are both highly popular films on the silver screen, and yet their backstage stories have rarely been shown to audiences.
Revealing details such as how the film's "Black Hawk" helicopter was created, a recently released documentary Inside the Wandering Earth II, for the first time, shares many behind-the-scenes stories.
It also introduces audiences to the rapidly developing landscape of the Chinese sci-fi culture.
Behind-the-scenes story
Most of the stories in Inside the Wandering Earth II are only now being told for the first time. The film crew, for instance, captured how the scene of the wreckage of the "Black Hawk" helicopter was produced.
Led by veteran prop designer Zhong Jianwei and his team, the helicopter prop was first built as a full-scale model, and the crew would create prototypes and assemble them piece by piece.
The model was then manually "damaged" by designers to achieve the appearance of a wreckage. The helicopter scene was only a couple of shots, but it took the prop team several months to set up the scene.
Other than the helicopter, there were several similar instances such as the door-frame robots and the moon rover props that show just how deeply embedded handmade prop-making is in Chinese sci-fi production.
"A top-notch visual presentation of a sci-fi production is often achieved by experts tweaking minute details meticulously countless times, including the prop's size, color, and patterns," Fang Muting, an industry insider, told the Global Times.
The documentary has also shown how the film's depiction of the "United Earth Government" headquarters was painstakingly crafted.
The film's overseas production team obtained a special permission to visit the inside of the United Nations headquarters in New York and combined these insights with the construction plans of the UN's iconic Golden Hall sourced by the art department, anchoring elements of the film in reality.
Beyond revealing the The Wandering Earth secrets was the documentary team's goal of showing audiences about Chinese sci-fi's profound cultural roots.
After consulting experts in various fields like literature and history, several milestones in Chinese sci-fi history were revealed in the documentary.
They include the early literary inspiration of The Future of New China, a book that was written by pioneer intellectual Liang Qichao, and the Science Fiction World magazine.
Founded in 1979, the magazine was a cradle for notable Chinese writers like Liu Cixin, Wang Jinkang and He Xi.
"Reflecting on the development of Chinese sci-fi literature, Chinese people have never stopped imagining and pursuing the future and technology," Guo Siwen, the director of the documentary, told the Global Times.
The director added that the charm of films like The Wandering Earth series lies in their portrayal of "the history of the future."
"[Such films] are not just about visual imaginations, but also about attempts to explore scientific and social topics in reality," Guo emphasized.
The Wandering Earth 3 is expected to be released in China on February 6, 2027.
Expansive landscape
Noting that Chinese sci-fi does not lack quality IPs, Chen Fusi, a cultural industry expert, told the Global Times that Chinese sci-fi culture is expanding its "multi-domain" landscape in collaborating with not only the film sector, but also other sectors such as gaming and art.
Taking the Chinese game Honkai: Star Rail as an example, it is a strategic game that invites players to go on an adventure across the galaxy.
While maintaining its sci-fi theme, the visual aesthetics of the game engage Chinese cultural elements like traditional architectural designs unique to East China's Anhui Province.
The game has been popular among overseas players. Chen, the expert, told the Global Times that the new "sci-fi and gaming" design helps overseas young people "experience Chinese culture in effortless ways."
In the recent past, sci-fi has grown to be a popular theme for curated art exhibitions. Featuring new technologies like 3D mapping and virtue reality, a visual exhibition in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province has interpreted the historical ancient Silk Road story featuring sci-fi visual presentations.
"Sci-fi is like a medium for cultural expression. It can be embedded in different fields to help promote Chinese values," Lü Yingying, the documentary's producer, told the Global Times.
"Compared to many Western countries, the start of China's sci-fi culture was relatively recent, but we have developed fast relying on our profound history and also the country's innovative technologies," Chen told the Global Times.