The Monkey King 2023

Movie · 96 min · English, Mandarin · July 30, 2023

Directed by Anthony StacchiWritten by Steve Bencich, Ron J. Friedman, Rita Hsiao

Starring Jimmy O. Yang, Dee Bradley Baker, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, Bowen Yang, Jo Koy

A 2023 animated fantasy action comedy film, The Monkey King, was directed by Anthony Stacchi and features a screenplay written by Rita Hsiao, along with Steve Bencich and Ron J. Friedman. This motion picture draws from the first 7 chapters of the Ming dynasty literary masterpiece Journey to the West. It is a co-production involving the United States, China, and Hong Kong. The voice of the main character, the trickster known as the Monkey King, is provided by Jimmy O. Yang, while Bowen Yang, Jo Koy, BD Wong, Jolie Hoang-Rappaport, and Stephanie Hsu appear in supporting roles.

The film was chosen as the closing picture at the 22nd New York Asian Film Festival, where it made its world debut on July 30, 2023. It was then distributed and released on August 18, 2023 by Netflix. Critics gave it a mixed reception, complimenting its animation quality and fight scenes but finding fault with the script, comedic elements, and the main character's appeal. On December 7, it was included in the contenders for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature for the 96th Academy Awards, although it did not receive a nomination.