Beijing – The animated film Ne Zha: The Devil Child has become a cultural phenomenon in China, captivating audiences and smashing box office records. As of February 13th, just 16 days after its release, the film has grossed over 9.8 billion yuan (approximately $1.36 billion USD), securing the 18th spot on the global all-time box office charts. But beyond the impressive numbers, the film’s success is also sparking creativity, with artificial intelligence playing an unexpected role in fueling fan anticipation for a potential sequel.
The film’s journey to success was paved with painstaking effort from animators. According to the report from AI Hao Hao Yong, the team meticulously crafted every detail, from the design of Ao Guang’s Dragon Tooth Blade, which underwent nearly 200 revisions, to the visually stunning sequence of Ne Zha breaking free from the Curse of the Piercing Heart. This 10-second scene alone took the team a full year to perfect. The director’s demand for a palpable sense of pain in the scene pushed the special effects artists to their limits, requiring them to animate each of the thousands of thorns with individual controllers and meticulously bind them to the character’s flesh for realistic movement.
The challenges didn’t stop there. Animating the millions of demonic creatures and their intricate chains, ensuring that no chain link intersected with another, proved to be a monumental task. The sheer volume of data required just to open the software took two hours. The demanding workload even led one animator, responsible for the notoriously difficult task of animating Shen Gongbao’s fur, to switch jobs. Ironically, his new role involved outsourcing work… back to the very same character.
Despite the grueling production process, the film’s success has ignited a fervent desire among fans for a sequel. This is where AI steps in. Driven by the anticipation, some fans are using AI video generation models, such as DeepSeek, to create their own interpretations of what Ne Zha 3 might hold. These fan-made creations include AI-generated runway shows featuring Ne Zha, Taiyi Zhenren, and Shen Gongbao, showcasing the potential for AI to expand the Ne Zha universe in imaginative ways.
The AI’s ability to hallucinate new storylines and visual concepts based on the existing data has further fueled the excitement surrounding the franchise. While these AI-generated scenarios are purely speculative, they highlight the powerful impact of Ne Zha on Chinese popular culture and the potential for AI to contribute to creative expression.
As the film continues its box office run, the question remains: will the success of Ne Zha: The Devil Child translate into a sequel? And if so, will the creative team draw inspiration from the AI-powered fan creations that are currently captivating audiences online? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain: the legend of Ne Zha is far from over.
References:
- AI Hao Hao Yong. (2024, February 13). 破98亿！熬秃动画师的哪吒2，被DeepSeek脑补出了新剧情 [Breaking 9.8 Billion! Ne Zha 2, with animators losing their hair, has a new plot imagined by DeepSeek]. Machine Heart. [Insert URL here if available]
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