Frant Gwo

Its sequel, The Wandering Earth 2, was first released in China globally on 22 January 2023.

• Name — Frant Gwo • Native Name — 郭帆 • Birth Name — Guo Fan • Born — 15 December 1980 • Birthplace — Jining, Shandong, China • Occupation — Filmmaker • Education — Hainan University, Beijing Film Academy • Notable Works — My Old Classmate, The Wandering Earth

Frant Gwo was born Guo Fan on 15 December 1980 in Jining, Shandong, China. During his early childhood, he developed an interest in painting, and in 1983, he studied at the Jining Municipal Bureau of Expression. In 1987, Guo enrolled at the Experimental Primary School in Jining, Shandong. Four years later, in 1991, he won the championship in the National Children's Calligraphy and Painting Competition. Gwo went on to study at Jining No. 13 Middle School in 1993 and Jining No. 1 High School in 1995 before entering Hainan University in 1998 to study law. Beginning in 2000, Gwo spent much of his time creating manhua comics and graphic design. Instead of pursuing a legal career after graduation, he began working for the Asian Music Center program of China Travel Television in 2002 as a program packaging supervisor in Hainan. He later worked for Republic Culture Media Ltd. in Beijing. After seeing James Cameron's Terminator 2: Judgment Day in theatres in the 1990s, Gwo was inspired to pursue a career as a sci-fi movie director. In 2009, he entered Beijing Film Academy to study film management.

In 2002, he graduated from the university with a bachelor's degree in law, and after graduation, he worked in the "Asia" column group of China Tourism Satellite TV as a program packaging supervisor in Hainan. In 2007, the graphic design work "Are you hot?" won the Gold Award in the Peace Organization "+gettyimages" Global Public Service Advertising Design World Competition; in the same year, he worked for Gonghe Culture Media (Beijing) Co., Ltd. In 2010, Gwo began making his first film, Lee's Journey (李献计历险记), which was theatrically released in 2011. In 2014, his second feature film, My Old Classmate, was released. It was a box office hit, earning 470 million yuan in China and winning multiple awards, including the Committee Special Award at the 21st Beijing College Student Film Festival. In 2016, Gwo was chosen to direct The Wandering Earth, China's first big-budget science fiction film, based on a short story by the Hugo Award-winning author Liu Cixin. The film was released by China Film Group Corporation on 5 February 2019, the Chinese New Year's Day. It was a major box-office hit, grossing US$700 million worldwide, including US$691 million in China. The film became China's second highest-grossing film of all time, though it was surpassed later the same year by the animated fantasy film Ne Zha, and again in 2021 by the comedy film Hi, Mom. It is currently China's sixth highest-grossing film of all time. A sequel to The Wandering Earth was announced in 2019 following the film's success. Gwo is still the director of The Wandering Earth 2, and the film was first released in China globally on 22 January 2023, the New Year's Day of the Chinese New Year (the Year of the Rabbit).

• Year — English title — Chinese title — Notes — Reference • 2011 — Lee's Adventure — zh-Hans — Directorial debut • 2014 — My Old Classmate — zh-Hans • 2019 — The Wandering Earth — zh-Hans — Sixth highest-grossing film in China • 2020 — The Sacrifice — zh-Hans • 2023 — The Wandering Earth 2 — 流浪地球2 — Released on January 22, 2023

Frant Gwo is recorded with the occupation film director. Recorded with the occupation screenwriter. Recorded as film director, screenwriter and film producer.