Chinese animated movies haven’t yet made a big mark on the U.S. market, but that could soon change with White Snake. The new animated feature from GKIDS, the animation distributor behind hits like Your Name, White Snake adapts an ancient Chinese folk tale and turns it into an epic love story of mythic proportions. Watch the White Snake trailer below.

White Snake Trailer

Based on the White Snake legend, which is considered one of the Four Great Chinese Folk Tales, White Snake is a computer-generated romantic adventure movie from the Beijing-based Light Chaser Animation Studio and Warner Bros. The film doesn’t actually adapt the legend but acts as a prequel to it, following the story of a young amnesiac woman who falls in love with a village snake catcher, only to discover that she is a powerful snake demon.

Directed by Amp Wong & Ji Zhao, White Snake looks like a piece of vibrant, lush CG animation whose sharper edges and more serious narrative could make it a compelling alternative to family-friendly U.S. animation. It certainly seems like it’s targeting the arthouse market more than the younger demographic, though in terms of awards season, it will have to contend with Makoto Shinkai’s buzzy follow-up to Your Name, Weathering With You. But still, White Snake looks like it could signal a bright future for Chinese animation.

Here is the synopsis for White Snake:

From Light Chaser Animation, one of China’s premiere animation studios, comes a visually stunning new take on a classic legend. One day a young woman named Blanca is saved by Xuan, a snake catcher from a nearby village. She has lost her memory, and together they go on a journey to discover her real identity, developing deeper feelings for one another along the way. But as they learn more about her past, they uncover a darker plot of supernatural forces vying for power, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. Conceived as a prequel to one of the most ancient and enduring stories in Chinese history, White Snake presents a sumptuous tale of trickster demons, deadly mythical beasts, assassins, wuxia action, and the promise of eternal love.

White Snake opens in select theaters in Los Angeles in November 15, 2019 and select theaters in New York on November 29, 2019 before it expands to additional markets.

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