The epic, action-packed fantasy debuted in China last December on Christmas Day, but as the South China Morning Post notes, it was pulled from theaters because of accusations of plagiarism. The controversial director, Guo Jingming, who is perhaps most famous for his successful romantic dramas Tiny Times and Tiny Times 2, has been accused of stealing elements from Tsui Hark's Detective Dee films and movies from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, most noticeably the final battle in Avengers: Endgame, for his film.
Netflix acquired the rights to release the movie on its streaming platform through Fortissimo Films, according to Variety, and it became available Friday, February 5. The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity stars Taiwanese actor Mark Chao Yu-ting (Qing Ming), Allen Deng Lun (Bo Ya), Olivia Wang Ziwen (the princess), Jessie Li (Long Ye), and it has a running time of 2 hours and 12 minutes. The film was produced by Black Ant Film, Hehe Pictures, ZUI, Thinkingdom Pictures, and the state-backed Shanghai Film Group.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Yumemakura's fantasy novel has inspired dozens of interpretations, including comic books, television shows, video game adaptations, and other movies in Asia, since it was published more than three decades ago. If you've already watched The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity, the publication notes that Netflix has a fairly good selection of high-quality Chinese films that are in a similar vein, including The Wandering Earth, Us and Them, and Animal World.
