CHANGSHA, CN / ACCESS Newswire / September 1, 2026 / Beyond Wukong, China’s first AIGC long-form drama, produced by Mango TV, created by the Mango TV AIGC Innovation Content Center and produced by Bojing Culture, officially premiered on Mango TV on August 31 and entered the prime-time schedule of Hunan Satellite TV. With episodes running approximately 40 minutes each, the series explores the application of generative artificial intelligence in the industrialized production of film and television content, marking a further step in China’s AIGC content creation from short-form and experimental productions toward long-form serialized dramas and mainstream television broadcasting.
Beyond Wukong became available to Mango TV members for early access from 6:00 p.m. on August 31, before airing on Hunan Satellite TV from 8:00 p.m. The series also premiered simultaneously in the “Juhǎokàn” large-screen on-demand section. Mango TV SVIP members can watch three episodes in advance, while VIP members can watch two episodes in advance.
Beyond Wukong is neither a remake nor a simple recreation of the classic Journey to the West. Instead, it is adapted from one of the three major sequels to Journey to the West written during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Set 1,000 years after Sun Wukong attained Buddhahood, the story follows a new generation of characters as they embark on a journey westward to fulfill the mission of retrieving the Buddhist scriptures. Based on the 40-chapter framework of the original sequel, the series also incorporates relevant foreshadowing and story threads from the original Journey to the West. By restructuring character relationships and narrative threads, it creates a comprehensive narrative centered on the story that follows Journey to the West.
As a Chinese mythology IP with broad international recognition, Journey to the West and its characters have long been featured across different cultural media, including films, television series, animation and video games. From the 1927 film The Cave of the Silken Web and the 1961 color animated feature Havoc in Heaven, to the classic 1986 television series Journey to the West and the recent globally acclaimed video game Black Myth: Wukong, the cultural legacy of Journey to the West has continued to take on new life through different forms of artistic expression. Beyond Wukong carries forward the classic mythological universe while placing greater emphasis on growth, responsibility and reflection, exploring new contemporary ways of expressing a traditional Chinese cultural IP.
In its visual production, Beyond Wukong combines Eastern aesthetics with generative AI technology to explore an AIGC visual language with a distinctive Chinese cultural identity. The creative team draws inspiration from traditional Chinese paintings while incorporating color and lighting techniques from Western art. Visual elements including architectural forms, costumes, materials, color palettes and accessories were systematically designed and refined through multiple iterations. Professional historical consultants were also engaged to review the visual content, providing a cultural foundation for the visual presentation of the mythical world.
The first five episodes of Season One center on the “Flower Fruit Mountain Arc,” presenting the diverse characters and communities of Flower Fruit Mountain 1,000 years later. Through storylines involving celebrations and sea burials, the series portrays both the prosperity and tragedy of its mythical world. The extensive application of AIGC technology also offers new approaches to large-scale visual effects, complex environments and camera choreography, expanding the visual possibilities for productions based on traditional Chinese mythology.
As China’s first AIGC long-form drama, Beyond Wukong has assembled a production team of nearly 100 people and relies extensively on the LumeCreate AIGC Platform. Centered on the expression of Eastern aesthetics, the team has developed an end-to-end AI production system and explored standardized workflows applicable to long-form film and television content.
Compared with short-form content, long-form serialized dramas place significantly higher demands on character consistency, scene continuity, narrative coherence, visual quality and production coordination. Through its complete series format, Beyond Wukong provides a systematic exploration of the feasibility of AI’s deep involvement in long-form film and television content production.
The project combines Hunan Broadcasting System’s long-standing expertise in film and television production with generative AI technology, exploring applications in model and computing support, standardized expression of Eastern art, cloud-based production collaboration, image-quality assurance and end-to-end production management. The Mango TV AIGC Innovation Content Center adopts the production standard of “one project = one premium content property + one operable IP asset + one derivative monetization chain,” continuously driving AIGC content creation from individual technology applications toward systematic, high-quality content production.
The premiere of Beyond Wukong in Hunan Satellite TV’s prime-time slot marks a further transition of China’s AIGC film and television content from short-form and experimental exploration toward long-form production and industrial-scale application. It provides a new practical example of the deep integration of generative AI with the traditional film and television industry.
Media contact
Mango TV
Cecilia Chen
ceciliachen@mgtv.com
www.mgtv.com
SOURCE: Mango TV
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