Journey to the West: Havoc in Heaven
A 2014 3D fantasy action film directed by Zheng Baorui and starring Donnie Yen, serving as the first installment of a trilogy that reimagines the prelude to the Great Sage's rebellion in Heaven.
The Monkey King is a 2014 3D fantasy action blockbuster directed by Ding Sheng and starring Donnie Yen. It premiered in mainland China on January 31, 2014, coinciding with the first day of the Lunar New Year. Donnie Yen plays Sun Wukong and also serves as the action director, while Chow Yun-fat portrays the Jade Emperor, Aaron Kwok plays the Bull Demon King, Joe Chen plays the Nine-Tailed Fox, and Dylan Kuo portrays Erlang Shen. The film retells the events leading up to the Havoc in Heaven: the ancient conflict between the Heavenly Palace and the demon realm is reignited by the Bull Demon King, and Sun Wukong is drawn into the fray due to the mystery of his origins. The story follows his journey from studying under Patriarch Subodhi to wreaking havoc at the Peach Banquet, and finally being imprisoned beneath the Five-Elements Mountain. This film is the first installment of the "Journey to the West" trilogy by Focus Films; the original budget of 300 million yuan was later increased to 400 million, with the entire production filmed in 3D. It earned 121 million yuan on its opening day in China, breaking the record set by Iron Man 3, and grossed over 182 million dollars worldwide. The sequel, The Monkey King 2 (2016), featured Aaron Kwok as Sun Wukong, and the third part, Journey to the West: The Kingdom of Women, was released in 2018.