The 16th century Journey to the West is a staple of Chinese culture, and also the source of many film adaptations, including Hong Kong director Cheang Pou-soi’s (鄭保瑞) most recent Monkey King series. Now, the latest member of that series — The Monkey King 3: Kingdom of Women (西遊記之女兒國) is slated for a February 16, 2018 release date.
Starring Aaron Kwok (as the titular Monkey King), Feng Shaofeng, Zhao Liying, and a litany of other Hong Kong and mainland actors, The Monkey King 3 draws inspiration from a segment of Journey to the West about a country only populated by women. As the Monkey King and his entourage stumble upon this “Kingdom of Women”, they discover they have been mentioned in a prophecy that heralds the kingdom’s destruction.
The first two films of director Cheang’s Monkey King series were big budget productions with considerable box office success. Combined, those two films made around $374 million USD. Monkey King 3’s production budget is reported to be around $75 million USD (500 million CNY).