Dongji Rescue

  1. Home
  2. Wiki
Dongji Rescue
Theatrical release poster
Simplified Chinese东极岛
Traditional Chinese東極島
Hanyu PinyinDōngjí Dǎo
Directed byGuan Hu
Fei Zhenxiang
Written byChen Shu
Zhang Ji
Dong Runnian
Produced byLiang Jing
StarringZhu Yilong
Wu Lei
Ni Ni
CinematographyGao Weizhe
Music byAtli Örvarsson
Production
companies
Distributed by
  • Tao Piao Piao
  • China Lion Film
  • Trinity Cine Asia
Release date
  • August 8, 2025 (2025-08-08)
Running time
134 minutes[1]
CountryChina
Languages
  • Mandarin
  • English
BudgetUS$80 million[2]
Box officeUS$50.2 million[3]

Dongji Rescue (Chinese: 东极岛) is a 2025 Chinese historical war action film directed by Guan Hu and Fei Zhenxiang, and starring Zhu Yilong, Wu Lei and Ni Ni.[4] Based on the real-life Lisbon Maru incident during World War II, the film tells the story of Chinese fishermen who risked their lives to save over 300 British prisoners of war after a Japanese transport ship sank off the coast of Zhoushan, east China's Zhejiang province, in 1942.[2] The film was released in China on August 8, 2025.[5][6]

Plot

[edit]

The film is based on a true story of Chinese fishermen rescuing British prisoners of war. During World War II, a Japanese cargo ship carrying British prisoners was sunk in the waters near Zhoushan, and thousands of them were trapped in the cabin by the Japanese army. In desperation, a group of fishermen from Dongji Island came to their aid.[7]

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]

The creative team began preparations in 2019, a process that spanned six years.[8] In 2023, they set up filming locations in Wuxi, where the crew built a full-scale replica of a giant prisoner-of-war ship. They also used nearly lost intangible cultural heritage techniques to construct 24 fishing boats modeled after those from more than 80 years ago.[9][10]

Principal photography started on 24 June 2024 and wrapped in 6 January 2025.[11][12] The film was shot on locations in Zhoushan, Zhejiang.[11]

Release

[edit]

Dongji Rescue was released on 8 August 2025 in China.[5] It was released in the US and UK on 22 August 2025.[13]

Awards and nominations

[edit]
Year Award Category Nominee Result Ref.
2025 Weibo Awards Anticipated Movie of the Year Dongji Rescue Won [14]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Dongji Rescue (15)". British Board of Film Classification. 14 August 2025. Retrieved 14 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Guan Hu's $80 Million War Epic 'Dongji Rescue' Heads to U.K., European Cinemas". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  3. ^ "Dongji Rescue". The Numbers. Retrieved November 21, 2025.
  4. ^ Shen Yanrong (沈雁容) (2025-06-13). 朱一龙、吴磊、倪妮领衔 《东极岛》定档8月8日. hangzhou.com.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  5. ^ a b Ramachandran, Naman (19 August 2025). "Zhu Yilong, Ni Ni on 'Dongji Rescue' WWII Maritime Epic: 'Humanism Doesn't Recognize National Boundaries'". Variety. Retrieved 19 August 2025.
  6. ^ "Dongji Rescue 2025 - Kinoarea". kinoarea.com. Retrieved 2025-08-19.
  7. ^ "'He owed his life to those Chinese fisherman': Dongji Rescue and the true story of a forgotten act of WW2 heroism". www.bbc.com. 2025-08-21. Retrieved 2025-11-12.
  8. ^ 北京文化项目储备丰富布局深化 助推产业发展. TOM Group (in Chinese). 2019-11-20. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  9. ^ 独家揭秘电影《东极岛》幕后故事 75%场景在无锡搭建拍摄. Wuxi Daily (in Chinese). 2025-07-25. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  10. ^ 《东极岛》亮相上合电影节开幕式. Maoyan (in Chinese). 2025-07-04. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
  11. ^ a b 管虎新作！朱一龙、吴磊领衔！电影《东极岛》在滨湖开机. The Paper (in Chinese). Shanghai United Media Group. 2025-06-25. Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  12. ^ Zhen Ting (振亭) (2025-01-06). 电影《东极岛》杀青：耗时6年打造的大片. sina.com.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved 2025-08-14.
  13. ^ Jones, Emma (2025-08-21). "'He owed his life to those Chinese fisherman': Dongji Rescue and the true story of a forgotten act of WW2 heroism". BBC. Retrieved 2025-08-22.
  14. ^ 《东极岛》亮相微博电影之夜 获"年度特别推荐影片". Maoyan (in Chinese). 2025-06-16. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
[edit]