Animal World (Chinese: 动物世界; pinyin: Dòngwù Shìjiè), also known as Animal World: Mr. Nobody, is a 2018 Chinese action-adventure film written and directed by Han Yan, and starring Li Yifeng, Michael Douglas and Zhou Dongyu.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] It is based on the manga Kaiji by Nobuyuki Fukumoto.[9][10] Animal World is produced jointly by Shanghai Ruyi Film Production Co., Ltd., Shanghai Pitaya Film Production Co., Ltd., Tencent Pictures, Jixiang Films, Fire Dragon Guo Pictures, Youth Enlight and Enlight Pictures. The film premiered in China on June 29, 2018. Netflix has acquired the global digital rights to the film.[11][12]
| Animal World | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Traditional Chinese | 動物世界 |
| Simplified Chinese | 动物世界 |
| Hanyu Pinyin | Dòngwù Shìjiè |
| Directed by | Han Yan |
| Written by | Han Yan |
| Based on | Kaiji by Nobuyuki Fukumoto |
| Produced by | Chen Zhixi |
| Starring | Li Yifeng Michael Douglas Zhou Dongyu |
| Cinematography | Max Wang Da-yung |
| Edited by | Yu Hongchao |
| Music by | Neal Acree Michael Tuller |
Production companies | Shanghai Ruyi Film Production Co., Ltd. Shanghai Pitaya Film Production Co., Ltd. Tencent Pictures Jixiang Films Fire Dragon Guo Pictures Youth Enlight |
| Distributed by | Enlight Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 132 minutes |
| Country | China |
| Languages | Mandarin English |
| Budget | $28-43 million[1] |
| Box office | $77.4 million |
Plot
editZheng Kaisi works a low-paying job and struggles to pay his mother's medical bills, relying on help from his nurse girlfriend, Liu Qing. At his friend Li Jun's behest, Kaisi mortgages his mother's apartment for a property scheme, but this backfires and leaves Kaisi with even greater debt.
Anderson, the owner of Kaisi's debt, invites Kaisi onto the ship Destiny, where passengers from all over the world play rock paper scissors for money. On the ship, players are given cards that correspond to rock, paper or scissors, and three stars, which are lost or gained when they lose or win matches. Players need to finish all their cards and have at least three stars in order to win and get off the ship. Kaisi is approached by fellow player Zhang Jingkun, who suggests they team up to tie all their matches so they can use all their cards and keep their stars, but Jingkun betrays him and leaves him with one star.
Kaisi teams up with Li Jun, who is also on the ship, and Fatty Meng, a fellow one-star player. Kaisi's talent with math and probability enables him to pick the right matches to play and help his teammates. Jingkun tempts Kaisi into abandoning his teammates but Kaisi refuses and reveals to all that Jingkun has marked the cards. Jingkun is left with one card, and no one but Kaisi is willing to play with him. Kaisi, wanting revenge by forcing Jingkun to slap himself, agrees to the match despite it allowing Jingkun to finish his cards. Kaisi loses all his stars and is taken to the "black room", where he waits for his teammates save him.
Li Jun and Fatty Meng follow Kaisi's strategy and win the stars they need. However, Fatty Meng convinces Li Jun to sell the stars instead so they can wipe out their personal debt. Kaisi manages to trick his way out of the black room, and takes the money earned by his former teammates to pay for the freedom of another player who was also betrayed.
Kaisi returns to Liu Qing a changed man. In an epilogue, Kaisi realizes that Anderson is the man who killed his father.
Cast
edit- Li Yifeng as Zheng Kaisi
- Michael Douglas as Anderson
- Zhou Dongyu as Liu Qing
- Cao Bingkun as Li Jun
- Wang Ge as Meng Xiaopang
- Su Ke as Zhang Jingkun
- Chi Jia as Andō
- Zhang Junyi
- Li Yijuan as Zheng's mother.
Production
editShooting began on February 24, 2017 and ended on August 15 of that same year. The film was shot on locations in Beijing, Tianjin, and Haikou.
Soundtrack
edit| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Singer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Weight of Growth (成长之重量)" (Ending theme) | Ronghao Li | Ronghao Li | Ronghao Li | |
| 2. | "Animal World (动物世界)" (Theme) | HY1116, Gan Shijia | Michael Tuller, Yu Fei, Annalise Morelli | Li Yuchun | |
| 3. | "Tail (尾巴)" | Tang Tian | Chen Xueran | Su Yunying |
Release
editAnimal World premiered at the 21st Shanghai International Film Festival, and opened in China on June 29, 2018.
Box office
editThe film topped the Chinese box office charts, dethroning Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.[13] Animal World grossed CN¥510 million ($77.09 million) in China,[14] $5,392 in New Zealand,[15] and $358,225 in other territories,[16] for a worldwide total gross of $77,403,617.
Critical reception
editReferences
edit- ^ "《动物世界》打响暑期档头炮，提前锁定"净利王"的光线传媒却难言开心". 凤凰. 2018-07-01.
- ^ Patrick Brzeski (2018-10-05). "Cannes: CMC Takes Michael Douglas Chinese Film 'Animal World'". hollywoodreporter.com.
- ^ Lee B. Golden III (2018-07-08). "ANIMAL WORLD: Li Yi-Feng Clowns Around With Brutal Resolve In The Newest Trailer". filmcombatsyndicate.com.
- ^ John Berra (2018-06-18). "'Animal World': Review". screendaily.com.
- ^ "'Animal World' tops China's box office on opening day". china.org.cn. 2018-07-03.
- ^ Edmund Lee (2018-07-10). "Animal World film review: Li Yifeng, Michael Douglas in Chinese gambling fantasy, based on Japanese hit Kaiji". scmp.com.
- ^ 上影节开幕片《动物世界》首映 李易峰曝裸戏擦黑粉. ifeng (in Chinese). 2018-06-17.
- ^ Patrick Frater (2018-08-29). "Michael Douglas' 'Animal World' Gets Central Asia Release (EXCLUSIVE)". variety.com.
- ^ SILVIA WONG (2018-07-02). "China box office: local blockbuster 'Animal World' dethrones 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom'". screendaily.com.
- ^ 韩延：《动物世界》李易峰拍戏全程只休息过两天. 163.com (in Chinese). 2018-06-22.
- ^ "Nobuyuki Fukumoto's Kaiji Manga Inspires Chinese Live-Action Film". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
- ^ "'Animal World': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
- ^ Wong, Silvia (2 July 2018). "China box office: local blockbuster 'Animal World' dethrones 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom'". Screen Daily. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
- ^ "Animal World". Maoyan. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
- ^ "Dongwu shijie (2018) - International". The Numbers. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- ^ "Animal World". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
- ^ 李易峰谈《动物世界》：拿奖都是肯定和鼓励. fznews.com.cn (in Chinese). 2018-06-14. Archived from the original on 2019-08-10. Retrieved 2018-09-26.
- ^ 李易峰主演《动物世界》：留下经得起推敲的好作品. people.com (in Chinese). 2018-06-08.
External links
edit- Animal World: Mr. Nobody official website (in English)
- Animal World: Mr. Nobody at IMDb
- Animal World at Douban (in Chinese)
- Animal World at Mtime.com (archived) (in Chinese)