One of the biggest blockbusters of the year, Ne Zha 2, premiered in international theaters with an English dub by an all-star cast.
After smashing records as the biggest animated movie of all time, making USD 2.11 billion in the global box office, Ne Zha 2 made headlines as the fifth highest-grossing film. Now, it’s ready to take over the world all over again with an all-star voice cast for its English dub.
The English cast features the voices of Crystal Lee as Ne Zha, Griffin Puatu as adolescent Ne Zha, Aleks Le as Ao Bing, Michelle Yeoh as Lady Yin, Vincent Rodriguez III as Li Jing, Rick Zeiff as Taiyi Zhenren, and Damien Haas as Deero.
The English voice cast of “Ne Zha 2” at the red carpet premiere | Photo from AFP
At the red carpet premiere in Los Angeles, Michelle Yeoh described how she was cast for the project. “I had seen ‘Ne Zha 2’ in Chinese, and even at that time I thought, ‘I hope they do an English version, because you want little kids to be able to see it and understand…So when they did come to me and said, ‘Would this interest you?’ I jumped right in,'” Yeoh said in an interview with People.
Following the events of the first film, Ne Zha 2 continues after the demigod Ne Zha and his friend Ao Bing’s souls have been preserved after the great catastrophe. With their physical bodies destroyed, Ne Zha and Ao Bing must complete three trials to reclaim their strength and true forms.
The story is based on the Fengshen Yanyi (Investiture of the Gods)—a 16th century Chinese novel in the gods and demons genre, combining elements of history, folklore and mythology. Aside from its box office potential and entertaining story, the film delves into Chinese mythology, making it more accessible for children and families all over the world to understand its cultural significance.
The English dub of Ne Zha 2 is set to premiere this September in US and Australian cinemas. Have you watched Ne Zha 2 yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!