Michelle Yeoh has been confirmed to lead a new version of Ne Zha 2, one of the biggest animated movies of all time.
Released this year as a sequel to 2019’s Ne Zha, the film became the highest-grossing animated film of all time globally, overtaking Inside Out 2.
Based on the Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods: Fengshen Yanyi, the film follows the titular demigod Ne Zha and his friend Ao Bing as they reshape their destroyed bodies in order to change their fate.
Directed by Yu Yang, the reimagining of a classic Chinese folk tale sees the pair of friends uncover a conspiracy which could trigger a war between good and evil.
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The film, which received a limited subtitled release in the US and Europe, is now set to get an English-language version, with A24 and CMC Pictures joining forces to bring the new version to cinemas this summer.
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On board to lend her voice to the cast for the latest version of the hit film is Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Yeoh, who called Ne Zha 2 a "landmark in Chinese animation".
"I’m honored to be part of Ne Zha 2, a landmark in Chinese animation and a powerful reminder of how universal our stories can be," Yeoh said in a statement.
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"Sharing this with audiences in English is such a joy, and I can’t wait for everyone to experience the wonder, heart, spectacular artistry, and magic of this film on the big screen."
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new version is slated for release on 22 August across North America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. So far, there is no news on when the English-language version will receive a UK cinema release.
Described as a "truly all-encompassing sequel", Ne Zha 2 currently has a near-perfect score of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes from 25 critic reviews.
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Reporter, Digital Spy
Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy.
A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre.
In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.
