The New Legends of Monkey
The New Legends of Monkey is an Australian-New Zealand television series inspired by Monkey, a Japanese production from the 1970s and 1980s which garnered a cult following in New Zealand, Australia, the U.K. and South Africa. The Japanese production was based on the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West.[2] The series is an international co-production between the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, New Zealand's TVNZ and American-based worldwide SVOD streaming service Netflix. The first season, consisting of ten episodes, premiered on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's ABC Me television channel in Australia on 28 January 2018, and later debuted outside Australia and New Zealand on Netflix on 28 April.
| The New Legends of Monkey | |
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| Genre | |
| Based on | Journey to the West by Wu Cheng'en |
| Written by |
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| Directed by | Gerard Johnstone |
| Starring |
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| Country of origin |
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| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) |
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| Running time | 24 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
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| Release | |
| Original network | |
| Original release | 28 January – 4 February 2018 |
A second season, also ten episodes, has been filmed[3][4] for release in 2020,[5] but there is presently no known air date.
Premise
The new series follows a young monk, escorted by a group of gods, on a journey across an ancient and fantastical land now ruled by evil demons to collect lost scrolls of wisdom.[6]
Plot
The Monkey King Sun Wukong was imprisoned under a mountain 500 years ago by his enemies in Heaven. 500 years later, the earthly realm is overrun by demons and humans are oppressed by demons. The gods and immortals are in hiding or oppressed by demons as well. A scholar secretly concocts a plan to bring together a few warriors and a monk, thus named Tripitaka, to undertake a quest to resurrect the Monkey King and find the Heavenly scrolls that were stolen by Monkey 500 years ago and hidden away secretly on earth. Anyone who finds the scrolls would gain unlimited power. However, the night the group is about to start on their quest, a demon attacks the scholar's home and kills everyone inside except for the scholar's adopted daughter. In his last moments, the scholar entrusts his daughter with the quest. She takes on the identity of Tripitaka and ventures out into the world, narrowly escaping death herself.
In a town she gives charity to a monk and ends up forced to work for a tavern owner, thus gaining a job and a room to sleep in. When the same demon that killed her adoptive father shows up, she secretly steals the magical crown and makes a run for it. When demons begin searching the town for her and the magic crown, she is disguised as a monk by the same monk she helped and successfully makes her way out of the city. In an opening along the side of a mountain, she finds the stony visage of the Monkey King's face, and puts the crown on his head. Finally, the Monkey King is free. The pair return to the town and join up with Pigsy and Sandy, who are also gods, and the four of them begin their quest of finding the lost scrolls and gaining enough power to overthrow all the demons.
Cast
Main
- Chai Hansen as Monkey (Sun WuKong)
- Luciane Buchanan as Tripitaka (Sanzo)
- Josh Thomson as Pigsy (Cho Hakkou)
- Emilie Cocquerel as Sandy (Sa Goji)
Recurring
- Jarred Blakiston as Font Demon
- Josh McKenzie as Davari
- Jordan Mooney as Raxion
- Rachel House as Monica
- Daniel Watterson as Shaman
- Bryony Skillington as Princess Locke
- JJ Fong as Lusio
- Jayden Daniels as Gaxin
- Chelsie Preston Crayford as Gwen
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Hope Must Never Die" | Gerard Johnstone | Jacquelin Perske | 28 January 2018 | |
| After a demon steals a magical crown from warrior monks, an orphaned girl flees the monastery in a quest to awaken the long-petrified Monkey King. | |||||
| 2 | "The Edge Of Nowhere" | Gerard Johnstone | Jacquelin Perske | 28 January 2018 | |
| Tripitaka learns a troubling legend about Monkey, but the pair gains a surprising new ally before setting out to find the seven sacred scrolls. | |||||
| 3 | "The Journey Begins" | Gerard Johnstone | Jacquelin Perske | 28 January 2018 | |
| A demon jeopardizes the trio's quest before it even begins. Tripitaka makes a startling discovery about Pigsy, who makes a momentous decision. | |||||
| 4 | "The Monkey King Returns" | Gerard Johnstone | Craig Irvin & Jacquelin Perske | 29 January 2018 | |
| An eccentric clan of loyal Monkey King zealots guides the group toward a sacred scroll's hiding place, but booby traps and betrayal await them. | |||||
| 5 | "The Breaking Ground" | Craig Irvin | Craig Irvin | 30 January 2018 | |
| A shaman uses trance-like mind games to trick the gods into translating divine scrolls, sending Monkey dangerously far into his own subconscious. | |||||
| 6 | "A Crown Does Not Make You" | Craig Irvin | Jacquelin Perske | 31 January 2018 | |
| Trapped in the depths of his mind, Monkey relives terrible events of centuries before, when his arrogance led to tragedy and his banishment. | |||||
| 7 | "Until I Met You" | Gerard Johnstone | Craig Irvin | 1 February 2018 | |
| The shaman hires nightmarish forest dwellers to hunt the group down. A foe from Monkey's past sows seeds of doubt in Tripitaka's mind. | |||||
| 8 | "A Part Of You That's Missing" | Gerard Johnstone | Samantha Strauss | 2 February 2018 | |
| Tripitaka leaves the quest to find her mother but faces even greater peril. Monkey and Pigsy strike a bargain with the demon hounding them. | |||||
| 9 | "In Search Of Tripitaka" | Craig Irvin | Craig Irvin | 3 February 2018 | |
| With help from an unlikely ally, Monkey and Pigsy infiltrate Jade Mountain to help Tripitaka thwart the fiendish plans of demon master Davari. | |||||
| 10 | "A Hero To Save Us All" | Craig Irvin | Jacquelin Perske | 4 February 2018 | |
| As Davari's quest for immortality nears fruition, Tripitaka races to unlock a secret that could destroy the demon's hold on power. | |||||
Broadcast
The first three episodes debuted in Australia on 28 January as a single 90-minute telemovie. Subsequent episodes of the ten-episode series were released daily until 4 February 2018. It debuted on Netflix worldwide on April 28, 2018.[7][8]
Awards and nominations
- 2018 New Zealand Television Awards
- Best Children's Program (nominated)
- Best Cinematography: DJ Stipsen (nominated)
- Best Original Score: Peter van der Fluit (nominated)
- Best Costume Design: Liz McGregor (nominated)
- Best Make-up Design: Susie Glass, Jacqueline Leung, Joe Whelan (won)
- 8th AACTA Awards
- Best Children's Program (nominated)
- Best Costume Design in Television: Liz McGregor (nominated)
- 18th Annual Screen Producers Australia (SPA) Awards
- Children's Series Production of the Year (nominated)
- 46th Daytime Creative Arts Emmy Awards
- Outstanding Cinematography: DJ Stipsen (nominated)
- Outstanding Sound Mixing (nominated)
- Outstanding Sound Editing for a Live Action Program (nominated)
- Outstanding Costume Design/Styling: Liz McGregor (won)
References
- https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/the-new-legends-of-monkey
- Lodderhouse, Diana (20 April 2017). "See-Saw & Jump Team On 'Legend Of The Monkey' For ABC Australia, Netflix". Deadline.com. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
- https://www.if.com.au/spend-on-local-drama-production-reaches-all-time-high-foreign-spend-rises/
- https://issuu.com/blkonblk/docs/black_issue_32
- https://www.c21media.net/serious-lunch-brings-monkey-to-cannes/
- "The New Legends of Monkey (2017) - The Screen Guide - Screen Australia". Retrieved 3 January 2018.
- Mitchell, Robert (20 April 2017). "See-Saw's 'Legend of the Monkey' Swings Into Production for ABC Australia, Netflix". Variety.com. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
- "Australian Television: The New Legends of Monkey: episode guide". www.australiantelevision.net.
