'Three Kingdoms: The Beginning' reimagines classic saga in epic animation

The team behind the hit film "Chang An" are making their comeback this summer with an even more ambitious animated epic — "Three Kingdoms: The Beginning." the movie is the first installment in a planned trilogy that reimagines and tells stories from China's 14th-century classic novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms."

A still from "Three Kingdoms: The Beginning." [Photo courtesy of Light Chaser Animation]

Directed by Xie Junwei and produced by Light Chaser Animation, the film is set in the final years of the Eastern Han dynasty (A.D. 25-220). It depicts the prelude to the chaos: the Yellow Turban Rebellion, court corruption and power struggles among imperial relatives and eunuchs. Amid the turmoil, as warlords and heroes rise, the city of Luoyang becomes the stage where the fate of the dynasty hangs in the balance.

"The audience's love for 'Chang An' gave Light Chaser Animation the confidence to continue exploring traditional Chinese cultural themes and to share Chinese culture and wisdom with audiences," producer Yu Zhou said at the premiere in Beijing on July 5.

Director Xie Junwei discussed the complex landscape of the late Eastern Han dynasty, saying the film aims to show the origins of the Three Kingdoms and the familiar heroes of that era. "They were not born as legends but had their own paths to greatness," he said.

"For example, with Cao Cao, we wanted to show him as a young man who cared about the world and remained loyal to the Han dynasty, and to present his different sides — he is definitely not a black-and-white character," Xie noted. "He had many identities: poet, politician, military strategist. So, we wanted to follow Cao Cao on his journey, as he keeps breaking through adversity. We wanted to present this version of him and have him guide the audience through the choices made by these heroes in the chaotic late Eastern Han dynasty, bringing this opening chapter of the story to the audience."

Just as Xie explored the friendship between celebrated Tang dynasty (618-907) poets Li Bai and Gao Shi in "Chang An," his new film "Three Kingdoms: The Beginning" follows a similar pattern, exploring the dynamic between legendary generals Cao Cao and Yuan Shao while unfurling the larger story and introducing more iconic characters of that chaotic era.

Producer Song Yiyi said she hopes "Three Kingdoms: The Beginning" will plant a seed in children's hearts, sparking a new generation's interest in Three Kingdoms history and Chinese culture.

"This is Light Chaser Animation's 11th film, so in terms of technology and team experience, we've certainly accumulated a lot," Song said."But there's one practical challenge — we've never done battle scenes on this scale before. Even though 'Chang An' had some, they're not really comparable to what we're presenting in this Three Kingdoms film. We have had to overcome many technical difficulties."

"Many of the iconic scenes that audiences are familiar with haven't fully appeared yet, but we hope to show what the beginning of the Three Kingdoms era looked like, and help audiences gain a deeper understanding of this period of history," she added.

Creators of "Three Kingdoms: The Beginning" pose for a photo at the film's premiere in Beijing, July 5, 2026. [Photo courtesy of Light Chaser Animation]

The animated film is based on the novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" by Luo Guanzhong (c. 1330-1400) and the historical text "Records of the Three Kingdoms" by ancient historian Chen Shou (233-297).

Notably, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" is the first historical novel in episodic form. It spans nearly a century of political and military struggles among the states of Wei, Shu and Wu, from the late Eastern Han dynasty (25-220) to the early Western Jin dynasty (265-317). Based on "Records of the Three Kingdoms," the novel features over 400 characters and explores themes such as loyalty and treachery. It has been widely influential in Chinese culture, inspiring countless works of literature and art, and has been adapted into various TV series and films. It has also been translated into dozens of languages and widely circulated across the globe, with a particularly strong following in other Asian countries. It is one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature, alongside "Journey to the West," "Water Margin" and "Dream of the Red Chamber."

"Three Kingdoms: The Beginning" hits Chinese theaters on July 10.