A new chapter in the journey to the west is about to begin for moviegoers as "Monkey King 3" is set to start filming later this year.
According to director Cheang Pou-soi, filming for the third film in the popular "Monkey King" will begin in November, China Daily reported.
Hong Kong-based Cheang revealed that the film will cover chapter 54 of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. The novel, which follows the adventures of Buddhist monk Xunazang as he travels to Central Asia and India (referred to as the "Western Region" in the novel) in search of the sacred sutras.
Unlike the previous two films of the series, which focused more on Xuanzang's and the titular Monkey King's fantastical battles with celestial beings and demons, Cheang said that "Monkey King 3" will have more romance, as it would feature the monk's love story.
In the particular chapter of the novel, Xuanzang and his companions arrive in a kingdom comprised solely of women. Later, the country's queen falls for the monk.
"But that love is doomed to fail," Cheang narrated. "Xuanzang--despite suffering inner struggles--has to ignore his chemistry with the queen, which makes for the most attractive part of the story."
While the director did not give specific details, he hinted that the role of the queen will be played by a popular Chinese actress.
However, Cheang confirmed that Feng Shaofeng and Xiao Shenyang will reprise their roles as Monk Tang and Zhu Bajie, respectively, though there was no word on whether Hong Kong actor Aaron Kwok will return to play the titular Monkey King, China Entertainment News reported.
Earlier, the film's producer Wang Haifeng told reporters that two massive indoor sets in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province will be used for shooting many of the scenes. Wang added that "Monkey King 3" will have more special effects than the previous two movies.