The director Zhao Ji’s “New Gods: Yang Jian,” a reductive prequel to “New Gods: Nezha Reborn,” teases some tantalizing lore: Yang Jian (Wang Kai) was once a god known by another name.

This review of New Gods: Yang Jian originally ran in conjunction with the movie’s theatrical release. It has been updated for the film’s digital release. See platform availability below.

To American audiences, especially comic fans, the title “New Gods” may confuse. “New Gods: Yang Jian” is not related to comic legend Jack Kirby’s 1970s DC masterwork that spawned ...

New Gods: Yang Jian hits U.S. theaters on Jan. 20, 2023. Ji Zhao’s New Gods: Nezha Reborn was one of the best cinematic surprises of 2021, a gorgeously animated retelling of a Chinese myth ...

Gkids has acquired North American rights to New Gods: Yang Jian, the latest feature from renowned Chinese animation studio Light Chaser Animation (White Snake, New Gods: Nezha Reborn). The ...

Such details add welcome wit to the narrative. To catch the audience up on the story so far, “New Gods: Yang Jian” channels its backstory as if from beyond. The grave voiceover recalls Cate ...

Thirteen years after Yang Jian (known to some as Erlang Shen) imprisoned his sister beneath a mountain, the once powerful god now scrapes by as a penniless bounty hunter. When a mysterious woman ...

Animation specialists GKIDS has acquired North American distribution rights for Chinese animated film “New Gods: Yang Jian,” with plans to release the film in theaters early next year.