Tomb adventurers raid online screens

• Published date: 24 June 2022
• Publication title: Shanghai Daily

film based on Chinese writer Tianxia Bachang's fantasy novel series "Ghost Blows Out the Light" is being aired on streaming platform iQiyi.

The film titled "Tomb Adventurer" is adapted from the series' second book "The Dragon Ridge Tombs." It stars Cai Heng, Gu Xuan and Yu Heng as a group of tomb raiders who embark on a journey to the depths beneath a mountain range in search of treasure in ancient Chinese tombs.

Dubbed as one of China's most imaginative writers, Tianxia Bachang is the penname of Zhang Muye, a Tianjin native whose stories have been bestsellers among youth.

With supernatural forces guarding the tombs, the raiders' expedition is dangerous and hard. They face a number of obstacles, traps and deadly creatures that thwart their advancement. One of the group members even discovers that the curse on her family is tied to a mysterious ancient past.

Prices for online viewing are around 12 yuan (US$1.79) and 6 yuan for iQiyi's members on Cloud Cinema.

The popular "Ghost Blows Out the Light" series has inspired both movies and online series. It has developed a large fan base of online viewers. Many of them are young males who have a strong interest and curiosity in history and ancient Chinese culture.

The Cloud Cinema premiere mode is filling the void of new film releases as the city struggles to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic fallout. Movie fans have been offered online releases of many productions, such as the martial arts epic "Song of the Assassins" and the kung fu film "Blind War."

Foreign films, including the horror movie "Malignant" and the war film "Operation Mincemeat," were also released on the Internet. The online screening and distribution mode is being largely welcomed by fans.

On Youku and Tencent, young filmmaker Cheng Siyi's "Open the Coffin" turned out to be a dark horse in May. The film made more than 28 million yuan at the online box office.

Cheng said that the film's scenes boast a realistic flavor as the script was based on a true case. It also blends the elements of tomb-raiding, suspense...