The Monkey King: A 500-Year-Old Legend Takes Flight in Thrilling Trailer

In the world of timeless classics like Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Bram Stoker’s Dracula, filmmakers tackling these stories for the screen face the daunting task of breathing new life into iconic characters while staying true to their original essence. Now, imagine the challenge of delving into a narrative that has endured since the 16th century. This was the ambitious endeavor taken on by director Anthony Stacchi in his upcoming animated feature, The Monkey King. Thankfully, FilmSweep has the exclusive pleasure of sharing the exhilarating trailer, revealing Stacchi’s triumphant success.

In an email interview with FilmSweep’s Arezou Amin, Stacchi recounts his journey of bringing a 500-year-old tale to vivid life and his team’s commitment to preserving the story’s core while blazing their own trail. Stacchi emphasizes his personal connection to the project, stating, “I never wanted to forget what I felt the first time I read Journey to the West – it’s 500 years old and it is hilarious! The satire and over-the-top characters are surprisingly modern.” He expresses his fondness for Monkey, the protagonist, admiring his anti-authoritarian bravado and mischievous attitude. Stacchi goes so far as to assert that Monkey surpasses many contemporary wise-cracking anti-heroes, proclaiming him as the original. The next challenge was to infuse the story with a fresh perspective, introducing this ancient Chinese tale to audiences unfamiliar with it, while ensuring entertainment and cultural authenticity. Above all, Stacchi aimed to preserve the rebellious, obnoxious, and hilariously selfish nature of The Monkey King, allowing his personality to shine through.

For those anticipating a typical hero’s transformation, Stacchi assures us that this story won’t follow that pattern. He explains, “It was important to everyone, especially Stephen Chow, that we not compromise Monkey’s personality to Western ideals of acceptability or traditional story arcs where he learns from his mistakes and becomes a nice guy with superpowers by the end.” Stacchi confirms that The Monkey King will incorporate fresh elements while retaining the centuries-old tale. One exciting addition is the character Lin, voiced by Jolie Hoang-Rappaport. Lin, a young peasant girl with grand aspirations, becomes the ideal partner for the super-powered Monkey, ready to confront any challenge and battle demons, dragons, or gods that cross their path.

Image via Netflix

RELATED:
Exciting Animated TV Series Now Streaming on Netflix

The Dawn of Enlightenment

Discussing the spiritual journey viewers will witness Monkey undertake, Stacchi reveals that while the original book spans 100 chapters, the movie will cover only around seven, depicting Monkey’s initial steps toward becoming an enlightened being. Along his path, audiences can expect a flamboyant singing Dragon in a night club, encounters with two powerful gods in Jade Heaven, confrontations with the King of Hell and numerous peculiar demons that Monkey valiantly faces. These colorful spectacles were crafted by fight choreographer and Peking Opera actor Siwei Zou.

Amidst these thrilling battles, Stacchi eagerly anticipates audiences delving into the bond between Monkey and Lin. He shares, “My favorite scene is a quiet, emotional moment late in the story between Monkey and the young peasant girl Lin. In that moment, Lin embraces everything she has learned traveling with Monkey and uses her newfound sense of empowerment to take control of her destiny and fulfill her dream of writing her own scroll, of doing something significant with her life.”

With several highly-anticipated animated titles slated for release this year, Stacchi remains confident that The Monkey King will stand out on its own. He asserts, “Many individuals involved in this story have dreamt of bringing The Monkey King to life for a long time, attempting it at various studios without success. Often, the excuses were that the story was too complex, the world too bewildering for those unfamiliar with the tale, or there were too many religious undertones, making Monkey unlikable. The Monkey King could only come to fruition now, when there is an appetite for diverse stories, a demand for a multitude of content, and studios realizing that rehashing the same old narratives no longer suffices. We have benefited from these evolving trends. It has been said, ‘Everyone falls in love with Monkey. Each generation has its own Monkey.’ Hopefully, we have contributed to this great legacy.”

The Monkey King features a talented voice cast including Jimmy O. Yang, Nan Li, Bowen Yang, Jo Koy, Ron Yuan, Hoon Lee, BD Wong, Andrew Kishino, Sophie Wu, Jodi Long, James Sie, Andrew Pang, Stephanie Hsu, and Kuno Inghram.

Prepare for an enthralling adventure as The Monkey King swings onto Netflix on August 18. Watch the captivating new trailer below.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about animated adventure

More about animated adventure

• The Monkey King Trailer on FilmSweep
• Netflix Official Website
• Journey to the West on Wikipedia
• Chinese Folklore on Britannica
• IMDb Page for The Monkey King (Replace “tt0000000” with the actual IMDb ID when available)