ANIMATED film The Monkey King is set to premiere on Netflix on Aug. 18.
The family action-comedy film 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.
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 Monkey King features a voice cast with Asian-American actors Jimmy O. Yang (Monkey King), Bowen Yang (Dragon King), Jolie Hoang-Rappaport (Lin), Jo Koy (Benbo), Ron Yuan (Babbo), and Stephanie Hsu (Mayor’s wife).
The Netflix version is helmed by seasoned animated film director Anthony Stacchi and Peilin Chou, the creative force behind other beloved Asian animated features like Over the Moon and Mulan. Actor-producer Stephen Chow served as the executive producer.