Comedian instils a sense of wonder in latest movie

With his iconic and hilarious performances in a series of blockbusters, from Goodbye Mr. Loser to Moon Man, Shen Teng has emerged as one of China's favorite comedy stars on the silver screen. Audiences can look forward to more laughs as he returns in the upcoming comedy film, Wonder Family.

The movie, directed by Song Yang and starring Shen's fellow comedy actor Ai Lun, is scheduled to hit theaters nationwide on July 21.

Mostly taking place in a Russian city, the tale centers around a tech genius who invents a financial management app that inadvertently catches the interest of a villain who seeks to exploit it for money laundering. When the inventor finds himself in trouble, a meteorite crash-lands on the rooftop of his home, granting superpowers to his entire family — his father, grandfather, and two sisters. United by their newfound abilities, they bravely confront the arch-villain, only to find themselves embroiled in an even more complex situation.

In the film, Shen will captivate audiences with his portrayal of the villain, who shares the same name as Chichikov, the cunning scammer in the Russian literary masterpiece Dead Souls.

The project had initially commenced in early 2018 with the original plan of releasing it in January 2022 to coincide with the Spring Festival holiday, one of the country's most lucrative box office seasons. However, the release was postponed due to delays in postproduction.