LayarHijau – The fate of Creation of the Gods III: Kingdom of Gods (封神天下, working title) is now uncertain. The final installment of the grand mythological trilogy directed by Wuershan is reportedly on hold, following the box office failure of the first two films and a severe financial crisis faced by its main investor, Beijing Culture.
The Creation of the Gods (封神) trilogy is one of China’s most ambitious epic projects in recent years, reimagining ancient mythology with large-scale production and cutting-edge visual effects. The first two films—Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms (封神第一部：朝歌風雲), released in 2023, and Creation of the Gods II: Demon Force (封神第二部：戰火西歧), which hit theaters in early 2024—star Yu Shi, Fei Xiang, Na Ran, Huang Bo, and Ci Sha. Despite receiving praise for their production value, both films underperformed financially.
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According to Hong Kong 01, Beijing Culture, the main investor behind the trilogy, had set an ambitious goal of reaching 10 billion yuan in total box office revenue. However, Creation of the Gods I earned only 2.636 billion yuan, while Creation of the Gods II dropped further to 1.238 billion yuan—barely half of the first film’s earnings. The combined total of 3.874 billion yuan falls far short of expectations.
Beijing Culture’s latest third-quarter financial report reveals that the company’s remaining cash and assets stand at only around 119 million yuan. Without new funding, the post-production and marketing of Creation of the Gods III may not be completed. The film was expected to serve as the climactic conclusion to a mythological saga that has been in development for over six years.
The crisis deepened as Beijing Culture became embroiled in two lawsuits with its co-production partner Poly Film, involving a total of 58 million yuan. These legal disputes could further delay—or even prevent—the film’s release. Meanwhile, the company’s image remains tainted by the legal troubles of its former chairman and CEO, Song Ge, who was sentenced in November 2023 to two years and three months in prison for “illegally disclosing important information.” Although current chairman Li Wu took over leadership in 2021, many observers believe the company has yet to fully recover from the reputational damage.
With its finances dwindling and legal burdens mounting, the future of Creation of the Gods III: Kingdom of Gods looks increasingly bleak. For many fans of Chinese cinema and mythology, the series once symbolized the revival of the nation’s grand fantasy epics—a dream that now seems on the brink of collapse before reaching its long-awaited finale.
