Before each of its films hits national theaters, Light Chaser Animation has a tradition of gathering all employees for a viewing. The studio's latest work, "White Snake: Afloat," was no exception. Following the internal screening on Aug. 5, everyone was thrilled.

A still image from "White Snake: Afloat" shows the protagonists' first meeting. [Image courtesy of Light Chaser Animation]

"This day feels like a festival every year, as we all gather to send off the new release," Yu Zhou, co-founder and president of Light Chaser Animation and the film's executive producer, told China.org.cn. "We love it."

"White Snake: Afloat," a sequel to the 2019 hit "White Snake," reimagines a classic Chinese folktale. The animated film follows a white snake demon who marries the mortal Xu Xian to repay a past life debt. However, their cross-species romance doesn't last long. Alongside her sister, a green snake demon, she battles a powerful Buddhist monk, Fa Hai, intent on ending their forbidden love.

The animated blockbuster has earned 240 million yuan ($33.5 million) since its Aug. 10 release in China. Audiences have praised its production quality, storytelling, and incorporation of traditional Chinese cultural elements, including dragon boat races and local opera performances.

"This film was actually much more difficult for us to make," said director Li Jiakai. "Because it's the canonical tale everyone is familiar with, they have their own expectations. We need to put so much more effort into making it."

A still image from "White Snake: Afloat" captures Xu Xian standing with white and green snake demons to battle Fa Hai. [Image courtesy of Light Chaser Animation]

Li said reinterpreting the character of Xu was the film's biggest challenge. The team transformed the traditionally cowardly husband into a brave man willing to sacrifice for love, reflecting modern values. "This change was significant, and it was difficult to find the right path and make the right decisions," he said.

Co-director Chan Kin Hi said they incorporated traditional Chinese elements, drawing inspiration from the famous Song dynasty painting "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" by Zhang Zeduan, which depicts the daily life of the era.

Li said they used traditional Chinese color palettes to create a Song dynasty aesthetic. He added that they used special effects sparingly, focusing on making magic spells and kung fu fight scenes visually stunning, intricate and detailed.

A still image from "White Snake: Afloat" captures the beautiful scenery and architecture of the ancient Chinese city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. [Image courtesy of Light Chaser Animation]

Both Chan and Li had previously worked on many Light Chaser animations, including previous works in the "White Snake" franchise, but stayed behind the scenes. The studio leadership entrusted them with this project, believing they were ready.

Yu said Light Chaser Animation has a system for cultivating and promoting new directors. The studio's staff has grown from around 100 to 380 employees, with many key members being quite young. The company typically takes three years to produce each film. The success of the "White Snake" series and "Chang An," an animated film about Tang dynasty poets that grossed 1.82 billion yuan in China last year, has given them the confidence to expand.

"We produced the three 'White Snake' installments over eight years of our company's 11-year history. This process helped us leap forward, laid a solid foundation for our teams, and built our brand and fanbase," Yu explained. "Next, we plan to expand our intellectual properties into more forms of entertainment, including musicals, stage dramas and live-action films."

The top executive revealed plans to increase the studio's staff to 600 next year and double its annual film output to two by 2026. Upcoming projects include animated adaptations of classic Chinese literature like "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio" and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms."

The studio's influence is also being felt overseas. On YouTube, one viewer commented on the film's trailer: "OMG, this is awesome! Can't wait to watch!" Another wrote: "I believe this film will attract more people to fall in love with Chinese classical stories."

The creators of "White Snake: Afloat" pose for a group photo with audience members at a theater in Wuhan, Hubei province, Aug. 10, 2024. [Photo courtesy of Light Chaser Animation]

Yu noted that the studio is working on an overseas release plan for "White Snake: Afloat," citing the overseas success of the two previous installments.

"The first one sold incredibly well on DVD through Amazon," he said. "We put 'Green Snake' on Netflix, where it stayed in the top 10 for three consecutive weeks, attracting an estimated 10 million viewers during that period."

The studio co-founder and president added, "We are committed to effectively spreading these great Chinese cultural stories overseas and reaching as many global viewers as possible."

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