A new television series titled Legend of the Monkey has begun filming in Auckland, New Zealand, which will be aired on ABC Australia, TVNZ, and globally on Netflix in 2018. It is neing produced by See-Saw Films, the same company behind the movie The King's Speech. The series is inspired by the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West, which has been adapted numerous times in the form of TV series, films, video games, and manga. Recent examples include the AMC TV series Into the Badlands and Stephen Chow's Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons. The head children's programming at ABC Television said that:
“The mythical tale of the Monkey King is a story that continues to captivate global audiences. We can’t wait for fans to see this new series that features the heroes they love and we are just as excited to introduce this reimagined magical and exciting world to a whole new generation of viewers.”
The core cast is Chai Hansen, Luciane Buchanan, Josh Thomson and Emilie Cocquerel. Gerard Johnstone is serving as the lead director, Jacquelin Perske is the lead writer, which includes Craig Irvin and Samantha Strauss. Irvin will also direct some episodes.
“The mythical tale of the Monkey King is a story that continues to captivate global audiences. We can’t wait for fans to see this new series that features the heroes they love and we are just as excited to introduce this reimagined magical and exciting world to a whole new generation of viewers.”
The core cast is Chai Hansen, Luciane Buchanan, Josh Thomson and Emilie Cocquerel. Gerard Johnstone is serving as the lead director, Jacquelin Perske is the lead writer, which includes Craig Irvin and Samantha Strauss. Irvin will also direct some episodes.