A Chinese animated film inspired by the legend of the Eight Immortals is going global this summer, with the first screenings to begin in three weeks.
Titled "All Wishes Come True", the movie will arrive in cinemas in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea on August 13. It will then open in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Netherlands the following day. Audience in Belgium and Luxembourg will see it in early September. More release dates, including those for Singapore and Malaysia, will be announced later.
"The film has put a great deal of effort into its overseas promotion and distribution, incorporating personalized elements and building on the positive reputation Chinese animation has cultivated abroad. Foreign audiences are becoming increasingly interested in Chinese culture, so we believe that, based on this foundation, the film has strong box office prospects for its overseas release," said Song Lei, executive dean of the China Animation Comic Game Group Research Institute.
Released on Saturday in Chinese mainland cinemas, All Wishes Come True has become a summer box-office hit. The film had grossed about 370 million yuan (about 54 million U.S. dollars) by Wednesday morning, according to ticketing platform Maoyan.
Rather than retelling the well-known legend of the Eight Immortals crossing the sea, All Wishes Come True imagines what happened before they became legendary figures. The story follows eight ordinary people who meet by chance and embark on an unexpected journey. Through a series of challenges, they gradually discover their strengths and become the Eight Immortals known to generations of Chinese people.
The film mixes comedy, adventure and traditional Chinese visual elements and offers a new interpretation of a story that has been told for generations.
Chinese animated film 'All Wishes Come True' heads overseas
A record-breaking heatwave has driven Tunisia's electricity demand to new highs, resulting in a series of power cuts that are starting to cause widespread disruption and leaving business owners sweating about the economic impact.
It comes as extreme temperatures grip much of the country, with local media reporting highs of nearly 50 degrees Celsius which are breaking historical records in multiple regions.
The intense summer heat has pushed Tunisia's power grid to its absolute limit. To prevent a total system collapse, authorities have enforced rolling blackouts during the hottest hours of the day.
These targeted outages are causing havoc for households and crippling businesses across multiple regions.
"The state is not doing its job well for the citizens. As you can see, the heat is unbearable, yet they cut the electricity at midday," said Mohamed Mkaouer, a local resident.
The economic fallout is hitting small businesses hard. In local markets, erratic supply surges are damaging commercial appliances and spoiling temperature-sensitive inventory, with many store owners lamenting the loss of produce.
"When the electricity is cut, what are we supposed to do with the food in the fridge -- throw everything away? Shop owners don't have the means to replace what they lose. Food, chocolate and other products spoil. People cannot live like this: electricity comes and goes suddenly, damaging the motors I depend on for my business," said Lazhar Hitana, a shop owner.
Energy analysts warn that the electricity deficit is a structural problem which shows that the grid is not prepared to handle such climate-induced demand surges.
"Nearly 50 percent of the electricity consumed in Tunisia during the summer is used for air conditioning. The country's electricity infrastructure was simply not designed to cope with such high demand," said Hamdi Hached, an environmental engineer.
Tunisia hit by power cuts as energy demand surges during record-breaking heatwave
Tunisia hit by power cuts as energy demand surges during record-breaking heatwave
