The story is set in a future where the is rapidly expanding into a red giant, threatening to consume the Earth. To survive, the United Earth Government launches the "Wandering Earth" project: installing 10,000 massive fusion thrusters to propel the planet out of the solar system toward a new star system 4.2 light-years away.

: NASA engineers and scientists note that the central idea—moving the entire planet—is "utterly ridiculous" under current scientific theory, as the Sun won't become a red giant for another 5 billion years.

While the film employed consultants from the to ground its worldbuilding, it largely prioritises "rule of cool" spectacle over hard science.

The film was a massive financial success, particularly within the Chinese market: Film Review: The Wandering Earth - Lowy Institute