Dave Cunningham
Not long ago, Netflix announced three new animated projects that will raid the streaming platform by storm. One of them is inspired by a classic Asian story that has soon transpired to generations of animated series and adaptations––that story is titled Journey to the West. The story dates back to 16th century China, during the Ming Dynasty, and will also be the inspiration of Stephen Chow’s The Monkey King. Journey to the West, on the other hand, has inspired stories and animes like Dragon Ball and The God of High School.
What is The Monkey King all about?
The Monkey King is an upcoming animated movie on Netflix executively produced by the great Stephen Chow. A massive fan of the story, Chow has already written, produced, directed, and/or acted in five movies about Sun Wukong, the Monkey King. In 2013, he created Journey to the West: Conquering Demons as a means to follow the original story.
As for The Monkey King, the movie will be following, well, the titular Monkey King and his Ruyi Bang, the magical staff he wields. As you can see, this is a great resemblance to Dragon Ball‘s Son Goku and his Power Pole, which really just looks like a stick but is widely recognized in the anime realm.
Who are attached to The Monkey King?
From classic martial arts comedies like Kung Fu Hustle to Shaolin Soccer, the genius of Stephen Chow must not be disregarded. In fact, if these are the hands holding the project in its place, then the upcoming animated film is something we’re very much willing to wait for.
Chow, however, isn’t the only passionate person this action-comedy will boast. The official @netflixfamily Twitter account of the streamer announced on Friday, 21st of May, that The Monkey King will be coming to the platform.
THE MONKEY KING: an animated action-comedy film executive produced by legendary filmmaker Stephen Chow, produced by Academy Award-nominated Peilin Chou and Kendra Haaland, and directed by Academy Award-nominated Anthony Stacchi. pic.twitter.com/rZxIU4EeEr
— Netflix Family (@netflixfamily) May 20, 2021
Not only did they announce its release, but they also took the chance to announce the all-Asian voice talent of the newest interpretation of the classic tale that has inspired story after story after story. The cast includes:
- Jimmy O. Yang
- Bowan Yang
- Jolie Hoang-Rappaport
- Jo Koy
- Ron Yuan
- Hoon Lee
- Stephanie Hsu
- Andrew Pang
- Andrew Kishino
- Jodi Long
- Jamie Sie
- BD Wong
In other news, The Monkey King isn’t the only big anime we’re looking forward to in the near future. On top of the series announcement, the streaming giant has also given a preview of what’s to come––and they come in the form of Mech Cadets and Boons and Curses. These two are set to be added to the always-expanding Netflix catalog of original animated series. Certainly, these moves are what helped Netflix keep their pace against pure anime sites like Crunchyroll and Funimation. Whatever the move is, no complaints are coming from this area of the internet.
When is the release date of The Monkey King?
Alongside Mech Cadets and Boons and Curses, expect The Monkey King to come to the platform in 2023. A lot of waiting, yes, but just like any Netflix anime––it’s worth the wait.
