Three Kingdoms: The Beginning: Classic reimagined Friday release

When you think of Cao Cao, you might picture a cunning warlord from old Chinese tales — but the team behind the new animation “Three Kingdoms: The Beginning” sees him completely differently. Director Xie Junwei calls him a true thinker ahead of his time, someone whose motivations, flaws, and drive feel just as relatable today as they did 1,800 years ago.