Based on a smash-hit comic book series, renowned filmmaker Wuershan has established a whole new superhero universe with "The Traveller."

Director Wuershan poses on stage at the premiere gala for "The Traveller" held in Beijing, July 22, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Dark Horse Entertainment]

The film is an adaptation of the graphic novel "The Outcast," also known as "Under One Person," which was created and illustrated by Mi Er and published by Tencent Animation and Comics. Since its inception, it has generated more than 30 billion views. The eccentric, alternative comic universe captivates fans with its superhumans that are similar to X-Men but whose superpowers are influenced by or fused with Chinese kung fu and traditional cultural elements.

"The Traveller" follows a superpowered young man who just wants to live in peace as a normal college student, but who finds himself either being hunted or protected by different groups of superhumans because of an ultimate superpowered martial arts technique that he learned from his deceased grandfather. As a result of this unwanted commotion, he embarks on a journey to discover the truth of his superpower and how his grandfather was killed.

Director Wuershan said at the premiere held in Beijing on July 22 that he has always been eager to make comic-adapted films with a unique Chinese style. He was stunned by the grand worldview, abundant characters and fascinating growth stories within "The Outcast." Because of this, he hopes to transform the impact that this comic had on him into a cinematic experience. 

"The ingenious combination of the essence of traditional culture and the contemporary real world in this comic book series makes it an excellent subject for adaptation," Wuershan said. He also revealed that he had intentions to create a trilogy of films right from the initial planning stage of the movie, which has now led to many urging him to finish the future installments soon, as everyone seems to be eagerly awaiting the next ones after watching the first.

Cast and crew pose for a photo at a premiere event of "The Traveller" held in Beijing, July 23, 2024. [Photo courtesy of New Classics Media]

With "The Traveller," Wuershan believes the biggest challenge lies in how to preserve the essence of the comics within the limited duration that a movie allows, how to create a "comic-style" viewing experience as well as how to extract and create comic-style performances from actors in a live-action film.

The outcome turns out to be a blending of a wild imagination, modern setting, dazzling visual effects, stylish animations, as well as elements of Chinese traditional culture and martial arts. These are complemented by bold performances that capture the comic's essence, including its humor and exaggerations. 

The young cast, including lead actors Hu Xianxu and Vanda Lee Margraf, received rigorous training in various styles of Chinese martial arts at a special training camp.

It is worth noting that the flashback scenes in the film are presented with comic-like visual effects. For the first time, the film combines rotoscoped live-action animation with artificial intelligence technology in commercial cinema production. 

In addition, according to Wuershan, the original author Mi Er has been deeply involved in the film adaptation from the very beginning and even has a cameo role.

Cast and crew perform at a premiere gala of "The Traveller" held in Beijing, July 22, 2024. [Photo courtesy of China Movie Channel]

Beyond Wuershan's film, "The Outcast" has also been adapted into both an animated and live-action series. The animated series has accumulated over 6.5 billion views while the live-action adaptation, entitled "I Am Nobody" and directed by Derek Hui, aired on the Youku video-streaming platform last year, receiving widespread acclaim.

Besides premiere events and advanced screenings held on July 22-23, a gala for "The Traveller" was co-organized by China Movie Channel and showcased the actors' talents. The gala also introduced the film's world of superhumans to a wider audience.

"The Traveller" hits Chinese theaters nationwide on July 26, coincidentally alongside Hollywood's X-Men rival "Deadpool & Wolverine."

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