Light Chaser Animation Studios

{{Infobox company

| name = Light Chaser Animation Studios

| logo = File:Light Chaser Animation Logo.jpg

| industry = {{ubl|CGI animation|Motion pictures}}

| founder = Gary Wang

| foundation = {{Start date|2013|03}}

| location_city = Beijing

| location_country = China

| website = {{URL|http://www.zhuiguang.com/}}

}}

Light Chaser Animation Studios ({{lang-zh|s=追光动画|hp=Zhuī Guāng Dònghuà}}) is a Chinese CG animation film studio based in Beijing, China. The studio was founded in early 2013 by Gary Wang, the founder and ex-CEO of the popular Chinese video sharing website Tudou.com.

History

In an interview with the Wall Street Journal on March 12, 2013,{{cite news|author=Osawa, Juro |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324539404578341700329865228 |title=Tudou Founder Eyes Big Screen |work=Wall Street Journal |date= March 12, 2013}} Gary Wang announced Light Chaser Animation, a movie studio to produce animated feature films targeting the rapidly growing Chinese movie market, which grew by 30% in 2012{{cite news|author=Lai, Alexis |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/19/world/asia/china-film-industry-advancer |title=Blockbuster growth in China's film industry |work=CNN |date= February 20, 2013}} and was widely expected to overtake the U.S. market in size by 2020.{{update-inline|date=January 2025}}{{cite news|author=Child, Ben |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/nov/29/china-biggest-film-market-2020 |title=China will be the world's biggest film market by 2020 |work=The Guardian |date= November 29, 2012}} He cited the lack of quality domestically produced animation content, a rapidly growing domestic market, and improving environment for movie distribution, promotion and copyrights in China as the main reasons behind his decision.

Light Chaser's website states that its main goal is to "create world-class animated films".{{citation|url=http://zhuiguang.com/intro|title=About Company|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724070445/http://zhuiguang.com/intro|archive-date=24 July 2013}}

Their first animated feature, Little Door Gods, directed by Wang, opened in China on January 1, 2016. It premiered in the United States on May 20, 2017, at the Seattle International Film Festival.{{cite news|title=Xiao men shen|work=IMDB|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4788934/}}

Light Chaser's second feature film, Tea Pets, was released in China on July 21, 2017. In the United States, Vision Films distributed the film as Toys & Pets. An airline safety video was made for Hainan Airlines starring this film's characters.{{Cite web|title=Tea Pets|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6903084/|website=IMDB}}

Their third feature film, Cats and Peachtopia, was released in China on April 5, 2018. In the United States, Viva Pictures released the movie as "Cats" on DirecTV Pay-per-view in late 2019, and distributed the movie theatrically on January 24, 2020.{{Cite web|title=Cats|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7886614/|website=IMDB}}

Their fourth feature film, White Snake, directed by Amp Wong and Zhao Ji, was released on January 11, 2019, in China.{{Cite web|date=2018-09-21|title=Chinese Authorities to Further Restrict Foreign Content Programming|url=http://chinafilminsider.com/headlines-from-china-chinese-authorities-to-further-restrict-foreign-content-programming|access-date=31 January 2019|work=China Film Insider}} The film received a limited release in the United States and Canada on November 15, 2019, with GKIDS acting as the distributor.{{Cite web|last=Zahed|first=Ramin|date=2019-06-10|title=GKIDS Charms China's White Snake for N. America|url=https://www.animationmagazine.net/north-america/gkids-charms-chinas-white-snake-for-n-america|access-date=10 June 2019|work=Animation Magazine}} It also debuted in France at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival.{{Cite web|last=Cox|first=Chris|date=July 22, 2019|title=Infestation: Annecy Animation Festival 2019: White Snake|url=https://oneofus.net/2019/07/infestation-annecy-animation-festival-2019-white-snake/|website=One of Us}} The film is a co-production with American studio Warner Bros. Warner Bros. has rights in China and is credited as a co-producer due to its significant involvement in the creation of the film. The film won the Golden Angel for "Best Chinese & American Co-Production Animation Film" at the Chinese American Film Festival.{{Cite web|last=Gui|first=Ming|title=2019 GOLDEN ANGEL AWARD|url=https://cafilmfestival.org/en/2019-golden-angel-award/|access-date=8 March 2020|website=Chinese American Film Festival|language=en-US}}

Their fifth film, New Gods: Nezha Reborn, was released in February 2021. A works-in-process feature about the film was to premiere at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival.{{Cite web|title=中国电影《新封神：哪吒重生》入围"动画界奥斯卡"：定档暑假|url=https://tech.sina.com.cn/roll/2020-05-21/doc-iirczymk2778676.shtml|website=sina|date=21 May 2020 }}

The company has been focusing on animation production technology since its establishment, and is building its own render farm and developing technology.{{Cite web|last=小晚wan|title=梦想家与独裁者：王微和"中国皮克斯"的创业故事|url=https://www.huxiu.com/article/296340.html|access-date=25 July 2022|website=www.huxiu.com|language=en}} In addition, the software has introduced Maya, Houdini, ZBrush, and Arnold.{{clarify|date=January 2025}}{{Cite web|title=中国皮克斯追光动画，前土豆网创始人王微任性挥霍前路如何？_小夜游|url=https://www.sohu.com/a/www.sohu.com/a/387021469_613239|access-date=25 July 2022|website=www.sohu.com|language=en}}

Filmography

class="wikitable sortable" ! scope="col" \| Title ! scope="col" \| Release date(s) ! scope="col" \| Budget(s) ! scope="col" \| Box office gross ! scope="col" \| Rotten Tomatoes ! scope="col" \| Metacritic
scope="row"\| Little Door Gods \| {{dts\|2016\|1\|1}} \|rowspan="2"\| $12 million \| $11.9 million \| N/A \| N/A
scope="row"\| Tea Pets \| {{dts\|2017\|7\|21}} \| $5 million \| N/A \| N/A
scope="row"\| Cats and Peachtopia \| {{dts\|2018\|4\|5}} \| $10.5 million \| $20.5 million \| N/A \| N/A
scope="row"\| White Snake \| {{dts\|2019\|1\|11}} \| $11.2 million \| $61.6 million \| 68% (22 reviews){{cite web\|title=White Snake\|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/white_snake\|website=Rotten Tomatoes\|publisher=Fandango Media}} \| 60 (6 reviews){{cite web\|title=White Snake Reviews\|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/white-snake\|website=Metacritic\|publisher=CBS Interactive}}
scope="row"\| New Gods: Nezha Reborn \| {{dts\|2021\|2\|12}} \| N/A \| $70.4 million \| N/A \| N/A
scope="row"\| Green Snake \| {{dts\|2021\|7\|23}} \| N/A \| $90.7 million \| N/A \| N/A
scope="row"\| New Gods: Yang Jian \| {{dts\|2022\|8\|19}} \| N/A \| $82.3 million \| N/A \| N/A
scope="row"\| Chang'an \| July 8, 2023 \| N/A \| $258.2 million \| N/A \| N/A
scope="row"\| White Snake: Afloat \| August 10, 2024 \| N/A \| $56.4 Million \| N/A \| N/A
scope="row"\| Curious Tales of a Temple \|July 12, 2025 \|N/A \|N/A \|N/A \|N/A

class="wikitable sortable"

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Release date(s)

! scope="col" | Budget(s)

! scope="col" | Box office gross

! scope="col" | Rotten Tomatoes

! scope="col" | Metacritic

scope="row"| Little Door Gods

| {{dts|2016|1|1}}

|rowspan="2"| $12 million

| $11.9 million

| N/A

scope="row"| Tea Pets

| {{dts|2017|7|21}}

| $5 million

| N/A

scope="row"| Cats and Peachtopia

| {{dts|2018|4|5}}

| $10.5 million

| $20.5 million

| N/A

scope="row"| White Snake

| {{dts|2019|1|11}}

| $11.2 million

| $61.6 million

| 68% (22 reviews){{cite web|title=White Snake|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/white_snake|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Fandango Media}}

| 60 (6 reviews){{cite web|title=White Snake Reviews|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/white-snake|website=Metacritic|publisher=CBS Interactive}}

scope="row"| New Gods: Nezha Reborn

| {{dts|2021|2|12}}

| N/A

| $70.4 million

| N/A

scope="row"| Green Snake

| {{dts|2021|7|23}}

| N/A

| $90.7 million

| N/A

scope="row"| New Gods: Yang Jian

| {{dts|2022|8|19}}

| N/A

| $82.3 million

| N/A

scope="row"| Chang'an

| July 8, 2023

| N/A

| $258.2 million

| N/A

scope="row"| White Snake: Afloat

| August 10, 2024

| N/A

| $56.4 Million

| N/A

scope="row"| Curious Tales of a Temple

|July 12, 2025

|N/A

References

External links

[http://www.zhuiguang.com/ Light Chaser Animation Studios]

Category:Chinese animation studios

Category:Chinese companies established in 2013

Category:Companies based in Beijing

Category:Mass media companies established in 2013