18 Aug 2026
Former MP and China specialist speaks at BFI Southbank premiere of All Wishes Come True!
Mark Logan, the former MP and China specialist, was a lead panel speaker at the UK and Ireland premiere of the blockbuster Chinese animation All Wishes Come True! - known in its original Mandarin as 《八仙!》, or "Eight Immortals!" - held at BFI Southbank in London.
The screening brought together an audience of film industry figures, cultural commentators and fans of Chinese cinema for a first UK look at a film that has become one of the biggest animated hits of the year in China, reimagining the classic legend of the Eight Immortals as a story of eight ordinary mortals thrown together on an unlikely quest to save humankind. Since its release in China this summer, the film has taken more than $210 million at the domestic box office, cementing its place among the country's highest-grossing animated features and fuelling its push into international markets, including its recent releases across Australia and North America.
Following the screening, Logan joined a panel discussion alongside the film's director, Mu Zhengyang, making his directorial debut with the picture; Ying Xujun, President of Oriental DreamWorks, the production investment company behind the film; British screenwriter, director and documentary filmmaker Beverly Andrews, who offered a critic's perspective on the film's East-meets-West storytelling; and Sissi Ren, a leading cultural figure in UK-China exchanges.
Logan spoke about the growing appetite among UK audiences for Chinese cinema and the role events like this play in strengthening cultural ties between the two countries. Drawing on his background as a China specialist, he highlighted how the film's blend of mythology, humour and universal themes of doing the right thing gives it broad crossover appeal, and said premieres of this kind are an important bridge for cultural exchange at a time when UK-China relations continue to evolve.
The panel also touched on the wider success story of Chinese animation on the global stage, with All Wishes Come True! following in the footsteps of other recent Chinese blockbusters to find audiences well beyond its home market. The film is now showing in UK and Irish cinemas.
A short excerpt from the interview and panel discussion can be viewed here: https://youtube.com/shorts/1WuIkRtohjo?si=DCFmRREcM3g-QPP3