GLOBAL RELEASE—With vacation soon coming to a close and the young ones prepare to say goodbye to endless playtime with the return to school, Netflix offers a delightful treat with the upcoming animated feature film The Monkey King!
The Monkey King is based on a beloved Chinese character from Journey to the West, a 16th-century Chinese novel that talks of a playful monkey with supernatural powers. Born from a stone, the Monkey King is blessed with godly, supernatural abilities whose greatest obstacle, as is made apparent, is his inflated ego
Production stills courtesy of Netflix
Armed with his trusty stick (aptly named ‘Stick’) and accompanied by a loyal village girl named Lin, the Monkey King sets out on a daring quest to defeat 100 demons in a bid to achieve true immortality and be one with the gods.
The Netflix version, premiering on August 18, is the first animated adaptation of the lore, helmed by seasoned animated film director Anthony Stacchi (known for his work on Open Season and The Boxtrolls) and Peilin Chou, the creative force behind other beloved Asian animated features like Over the Moon and Mulan.
To ensure that this adaptation remains faithful to the legend, famed Mandarin actor-producer Stephen Chow—who brought us other classic kids and family-friendly titles like CJ7 and The Mermaid—served as the executive producer.
Production stills courtesy of Netflix
Aside from promising an immersive visual feast that will surely captivate kids, The Monkey King also features an exceptional voice cast with renowned Asian actors in Hollywood including Jimmy O. Yang (Monkey King), Bowen Yang (Dragon King), Jolie Hoang-Rappaport (Lin), Jo Koy (Benbo), Ron Yuan (Babbo), Stephanie Hsu (Mayor’s Wife) and more.
Watch the official trailer here:
The Monkey King premieres on 18 August, only on Netflix!