Journey to the West (2011 Zhang Jizhong Edition)
An epic sixty-six episode television series produced by Zhang Jizhong and directed by Zhang Jianya in 2011.
Journey to the West is a 66-episode mythological television series from mainland China, produced by Zhang Jizhong and directed by Zhang Jianya in 2011. Produced by companies including Ciwen Film and Television, filming began on September 12, 2009, and it first premiered on Southern Television (TVS) on July 28, 2011. Wu Yue stars as Sun Wukong, Nie Yuan as Tang Sanzang, Zang Jinsheng as Zhu Bajie, Xu Jinjiang as Sha Wujing, and Qian Yongchen as Bai Longma, with a supporting cast of stars including Liu Dekai, Liu Tao, and Dong Jie playing various deities and demons. With an investment exceeding 100 million yuan, the series utilized computer special effects throughout to create a world of gods and demons. Aiming to "restore the original work," many chapters that were simplified or merged in the 1986 CCTV version—such as the True and False Monkey King, the Nine-Spirit Primal Sage, and the Jade Rabbit Demon—were presented more completely. The theme song and score were composed by the renowned composer Sanbao. Following the 1986 and 1998 Zhang Weijian versions, this series is one of the largest-scale and most expensive productions in terms of special effects for a Journey to the West adaptation in mainland China, and it is often paired with the 2010 Zhejiang version as the "two new versions of Journey to the West."