The team working on Black Myth: Wukong sequel Zhong Kui are taking inspiration from Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey.
Inspired by Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey is a box office smash. Earlier this week it became Nolan’s most-successful film, taking $1.104billion (£819million) globally after nearly one month in cinemas. To create the blockbuster, Nolan and his team travelled to real-world locations for shoots and relied heavily on practical effects. “My responsibility is to shoot as much in the camera as I can, to give the audience a reason to believe,” he told the LA Times.
And it’s an approach that’s inspiring other creatives. Last year, a sequel to Black Myth: Wukong was confirmed by game developers Game Science. Single-player action role-playing game Zhong Kui will be “rooted in ancient Chinese fantasy,” and is “set against the backdrop of the classic Chinese folktale ‘Zhong Kui Banishing Evil’.”
“The game will deliver distinctive experiences and gameplay features that push our limits, while also bringing fresh ideas and necessary changes to address past flaws and regrets,” continued the statement from developers.
Taking part in a Q+A earlier this week, Game Science art director Yang Qi has said the team will be sticking to traditional techniques to make the sequel, rather than relying on AI.
“We’ll steer clear of [AI generated content] during the design and asset phases – not out of resistance, but simply to stand our ground until the very end,” he explained [via ResetEra]. “At a time when digital filmmaking and 3D post-production seem to have reached a dead end, look at Nolan. He’s thriving, using even older techniques to shake things up. There’s no ‘last train’ we absolutely have to catch; we can just stay at a small inn for a while,” he continued. “Besides, there’s plenty of time for AI and all that – no rush.”
In other news, jazz-pop star Laufey is enjoying being recognised as “the one from Fortnite” after a collab with the hit multiplayer game earlier this year.
