Singer-actor Aaron Kwok has confirmed that he would play the lead role again in the third sequel of the blockbuster hit "Monkey King" franchise. The superstar said he is fully prepared and will bring a stronger and more handsome Monkey King to the audiences.
Aaron played Bull Demon King in the first installment and Monkey King in the second. Earlier this year, he stated that he was contemplating whether or not to return to the third sequel as the lead role because it is the hardest role he has done yet.
"Filming this movie was the toughest time I had since I joined the entertainment industry. I am thoroughly exhausted, both physically and mentally," said the actor.
Fans have also expressed their concerns that Aaron may not have the time to film the third sequel because of his other projects for the year. Lucky for them, Aaron finally decided to reprise his role in “Monkey King 3: Women’s Kingdom.”
The movie adapts a chapter in the 16th-century Chinese fantasy classic, "Journey to the West," depicting an exotic kingdom inhabited only by women. The kingdom’s ruler falls in love with the monk Tang Xuanzang, who was supposed to go from China to India to collect Buddhist sutras.
Due to the storyline, the film was also jokingly named "the film with the most female actresses" on the Internet. However, the female lead has not been revealed yet.
Aaron is not the only one returning to the franchise. Director Cheang Pou-soi will again head the project. Other casts will also reprise their roles such as Feng Shaofeng as Xuanzang, Shen He as Pig Demon Zhu Bajie, and Him Law as Sha Wujing.
Despite receiving mixed reviews, the previous two "Monkey King" movies produced by Filmko Entertainment made more than 1 billion yuan each at the box office during the prime Spring Festival season.
With a 500 million yuan budget, the film had a nearly 1,000-member crew and will have 1,500 staffers working in post-production. The crew have been filming scenery landscapes in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan and Taiwan, and have constructed two massive indoor sets in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province.
The film will open in theaters on the 2018 Chinese New Year despite the fact that several other "Journey to the West" film adaptations are also on the way.