Ancient legends captivate modern audiences

In China, there is a well-known idiom: "The Eight Immortals cross the sea, each displaying their own special powers."

The saying originates from Dong You Ji (Journey to the East), a fantasy novel by Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) writer Wu Yuantai. In the story, the Eight Immortals decide, after a gathering, to cross a turbulent sea without relying on a boat. Instead, each uses a unique magical object — ranging from a pair of swords to a palm-leaf fan — which transforms into a vessel, allowing them to demonstrate their individual supernatural abilities.

Today, the idiom is widely used to describe people drawing on their own strengths to accomplish a common goal. Yet, despite its popularity, many people would struggle to name all eight legendary immortals, let alone explain their origins or how they have attained immortality.

That gap in people's knowledge has inspired All Wishes Come True! (2026), the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Mu Zhengyang. The animated fantasy has emerged as one of the biggest dark horses of the summer movie season, becoming the highest-grossing animated film of the period. Since its release on July 18, it has earned more than 860 million yuan ($127 million) by Tuesday at the domestic box office.

Bolstered by a strong word-of-mouth reputation — evidenced by its rating of 8.3 points out of 10 on the review platform Douban — the film is also set for an overseas rollout. It will open in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea on Aug 13, followed by releases in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Netherlands on Aug 14. It will then arrive in Belgium and Luxembourg on Sept 4.

Infusing the ancient legend with a contemporary sensibility, the film unfolds as an underdog adventure wrapped in a fantasy heist.

The story begins with the disappearance of a magical lamp, the loss of which threatens the survival of humankind. To recover it, Lyu Dongbin — a young swordsman trained at the Taoist sacred site in the Zhongnan Mountains — travels to the fairyland of Penglai, home to celestial beings and the last sanctuary protecting the mortal world.

His mission is to recruit Zhongli Quan, his former clanmate who is now a thief and the only person capable of helping him break into the heavily guarded vault of three immortals, the rulers of Penglai, where the lamp is believed to be hidden. The pair devises a daring plan to tunnel into the vault and steal back the artifact. As payment, Zhongli is promised the money stored in the vault.

But as the seemingly straightforward heist unfolds, they are forced to team up with six unlikely peers — including teen daredevil Han Xiangzi and swordswoman He Xiangu — and uncover a far more complicated conspiracy. The true mastermind behind the lamp's disappearance turns out to be someone else entirely, forcing the unlikely partners to confront a powerful enemy.