Popular patriotic actor Wu Jing talks about ‘Wolf Warrior’ in People’s Daily

Wu Jing, actor and director of the patriotic Wolf Warrior film series and icon of patriotism for many Chinese netizens, said in an article in People’s Daily on Friday that his original intention in making the Wolf Warrior movies was to create a new character that can represent modern day China and demonstrate the spirit of the new era.

The article came after Wu attended the opening ceremony of the 11th National Congress of China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the 10th National Congress of China Writers Association on December 14, 2021, where Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered a speech.

Xi called on Chinese artists and writers to boost their awareness and confidence in Chinese culture, create new prospects for Chinese literature and art, and add new luster to Chinese culture, saying that the Chinese public will not accept artists who commit misconduct.

Wu has become an icon of sincere patriotism and on Chinese social media since the hit movie Wolf Warrior 1 took Chinese audiences by storm in 2015 as he was always outspoken and tough, as well as humorous sometimes, when talking about his love for his country and respect for Chinese soldiers in different eras.

In the past five years, three movies Wu had starred in, namely The Battle at the Lake Changjin, Wolf Warrior 2 and The Wandering Earth, ranked first, second and fifth in the domestic movie box office. The three are all patriotic and heroic movies.

The popularity of patriotic artists and movies, for example Wu Jing who had the highest-ever personal box office in Chinese film history and his Wolf Warrior series, demonstrated a patriotic tide among Chinese people, which is boosted by growing confidence and understanding of Chinese culture amid a challenging international entertainment of strained China-US ties and COVID-19 pandemic, experts said.

It also comes as China is strengthening regulation in the entertainment industry.