While billed as the sequel to Gordon Chans Painted Skin (2008), Wuershans Painted Skin: The Resurrection can be seen as a standalone film sharing similar themes, but ultimately a different & perhaps more intriguing take of the classic story from Liao Zhai. The Golden Horse Award-winning new director, who displayed his visual flair in his debut feature The Butcher, the Chef & the Swordsman, works magic with the big-budget costume fantasy epic, blending action, horror, spectacular effects, & a gripping tale of love & sacrifice involving humans & demons.
Painted Skins star trio Zhou Xun, Vicki Zhao, & Aloys Chen return to topline the sequel, with Zhou again playing the foxy seductress, wreaking havoc between a pair of lovers played by Zhao & Chen. Mini Yang & William Feng, the popular duo from the hit drama Palace, add to the films star appeal in key supporting roles, while singer/actor Kris Phillips & actress Chen Tingjia vie for the spotlight as the villainous wizard & the barbarian queen, respectively. Produced by renowned filmmaker Chen Kuo Fu ( Detective Dee & the Mystery of the Phantom Flame), the 3D mega-blockbuster raked in over RMB700 million at the Mainland box office, beating Let the Bullets Fly to become the new highest-grossing local film in China.
Fox demon Xiaowei (Zhou Xun) has been trapped in ice for centuries, until bird spirit Queer (Mini Yang) inadvertently releases her from the imprisonment. Xiaowei wants nothing more than to become human, but she needs to find someone who is willing to give up their heart. She crosses paths with scarred Princess Jing (Vicki Zhao) when the latter is running away from her arranged marriage with the Wolf Kingdoms prince. Jing is on her way to find her beau, Huo Xin (Aloys Chen), a General on self-imposed exile as he blames himself for his failure to protect the Princess. Jing is eventually reunited with Huo Xin on the western frontier, only to find that he is bewitched by Xiaoweis beauty. Desperate to win back her true love at any cost, Jing agrees to exchange her heart with Xiaoweis face, not knowing that to maintain this entrancing appearance, she will have to devour a living mans heart every day...