Anybody looking for a hero? You’ve probably heard about the Monkey King or seen many of its adaptations throughout the years, but if you’re not familiar with the myth, here’s a little backgrounder: The Monkey King is based on a beloved Chinese character from ‘Journey to the West’, a 16th-century Chinese novel about a playful monkey with supernatural powers. Born from a stone, the Monkey King is blessed with godly, supernatural abilities whose greatest obstacle is his inflated ego!
Photo: 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.
First Animated Adaptation of the Lore
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 of this film.
Star-Studded Asian Voice Cast
Photo: 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 TRAILER BELOW:
Get ready to embark on an adventure filled with mayhem and hijinks when The Monkey King premieres on 18 August, only on Netflix!
