After finally wrapping the second chapter of his two-part remake swordplay fantasy epic, Iceman 3D II, actor Donnie Yen continues his momentum as a leading international action star in the forthcoming release of The Monkey King 3D with actors Chow Yun Fat and Aaron Kwok. Combined with the artistic efforts of a select few from Hollywood, the long-awaited film represents China’s latest ambitious venture into major blockbuster territory, heavily armed with lots of high flying computer graphics to augment its visual muscle for director Pou-Soi Cheang‘s newest telling of the classic “Journey To The West” story with a hopeful trilogy to follow. The film is also one of two productions shared as of recent between Yen and Cheang, with the pending production of Yen‘s upcoming role in The Master under his Superhero Films banner this year before filiming his next role in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon 2, confirmed in an earlier press release.
Sun Wukong, (The Monkey King) is a monkey born from a heavenly stone who acquires supernatural powers. After rebelling against heaven and being imprisoned under a mountain for 500 years, he later accompanies the monk Xuanzang on a journey to India. Thus, according to legend, Buddhism is brought to ancient China. This much beloved story, is as much a part of Asian culture as The Iliad and The Odyssey or The Wizard of Oz are to the West. This first installment in a trilogy of live action 3-D movies is actually a prequel to The Journey To The West, the much told story of the Monkey Kings adventures on the road to India. The Monkey King: Havoc In The Heavenly Palace will be released in the U.S. as The Monkey King. The first movie is the origins story — beginning with the birth of Sun Wukong and ending with his imprisonment for his crimes under the Five-Peaked Mountain. Along the way he acquires incredible powers, battling the armies of the gods and the armies of the demons to find his rightful place in the Heavens. It is a classic story of the scorned underdog who acquires great abilities but uses them recklessly and ultimately must pay a huge price to find redemption. The Monkey King captures the drama, beauty, humor and fantastic action of the folk legend and brings it to the screen in a way never before possible.
