Retelling the myth: a study of the film adaptation of the Nezha story from the point of view of international communication

This study is devoted to the analysis of the film adaptation of the popular Chinese mythological character Nezha. The authors of the article consider in detail three key components of the film adaptation: technology, narrative, and industry. The subject of the research is the study of ways to adapt Chinese mythological images within the boundaries of international communication and cultural adaptation. The purpose of this study is to develop an effective strategy for audiovisual adaptation of mythological images of Chinese culture, ensuring effective international promotion of the Chinese film industry and strengthening the country's cultural influence in other regions. To achieve the set research goals, the authors of the article put forward the following tasks: conducting a comparative analysis of the adaptation of the mythological image of Nezhi in TV series and movies; assessing the contribution of technology and digital production to the process of cultural transmission; developing a three-stage adaptation model. The research methodology is comprehensive: the study of historical sources to analyze the evolution of Nezha's character and study changes in his interpretations; techno-ethnography (in-depth interviews with animation studio producers) to study innovative technologies and production processes; content analysis (referring to the concept of transmedia narration to assess the effectiveness of the multimedia component and create a cultural identity. The scientific novelty of the research is the development of a new approach to audiovisual adaptation aimed at promoting China's national cultural symbols and improving international communication. The authors of the study come to the following conclusions: films about Nezha are interesting to the international audience (despite the limited resources and different cultural interpretations); modern technologies make it possible to create high-quality products independent of foreign technological capabilities. For an effective international strategy to promote the content in question, the creation of a special industrial ecosystem and a powerful production base with government support is a prerequisite. A prerequisite for promotion is also the development of regional creative clusters and special funds to strengthen the national cultural and aesthetic trajectory and the growth of innovative projects. The authors of the article emphasize that the available research in the field under consideration is still insufficient to fully understand the perception of the content in question by a foreign audience, which poses a number of urgent tasks and promising solutions for researchers.