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Gizmodo
10 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
The Jaw-Dropping Action in ‘Ne Zha II' Had Even Michelle Yeoh Swearing Under Her Breath
Ne Zha II, the animated sequel film produced by Chinese studio Beijing Enlight Media, is already breaking records as the highest-grossing animated film of all time, and will be re-released by A24 on August 22. To further boost the film's dub rerelease, A24 tapped Everything Everywhere All at Once Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh to add to its must-watch factor for audiences experiencing the film for the first time in English. Ahead of its theatrical rerelease, io9 spoke with Yeoh about taking on the role as Ne Zha's mother, Lady Yin, the power of animation as a cultural exchange, and what starring in the film means to her as the latest emotionally resonant milestone in her illustrious career. Isaiah Colbert, io9: What first drew you to the world of Ne Zha II? Was there something about Lady Yin—or the myth itself—that felt like it was calling to you? Michelle Yeoh: Oh, hell yes. Ne Zha is a mythological character that I've known since I was a kid. This fiery, rebellious young child. I think, as a kid, I sort of related to it. Everybody wants to fight back and be the one who can go out there and beat up demons and things like that. I saw the movie in its original form first, and I remember thinking, 'This is such a cinematic gem.' The animation pushes all the boundaries; it's spectacular. It's so rich, it's like a tapestry that just keeps evolving. All those stunning action sequences. Even I was totally blown away trying to imagine how the heck did they think of all these different realms: the heaven, the Earth, the underground, and the dragons in chains. It was just amazing. I felt I wanted to not read subtitles because my Chinese is not so good that I can understand in Mandarin all the way through. So I have to go down and understand 'Who's this? Ao Bing. Okay, Ne Zha. This is the dragon.' I think this was the one time I went, 'I don't want to take my eyes off the screen. I just want to watch the whole thing, but I need to understand what was going on.' I felt I needed to hear it, and my first language is English, thinking, 'If only they could translate it well, that would be perfect.' When I was given the opportunity to voice the mother of Ne Zha, it was like, she embodies the most amazing woman. She's a warrior. She defends her city together with her husband, the general. She is the most loving mother, so it was a no-brainer 'cause it's like my wish came true. I thought this is such a beautiful, great bridge from the Eastern world to the Western world, where the children who love Spirited Away, Coco, or Moana can come into our world. This will transcend boundaries. We'll come and be able to embrace this crazy little demon god called Ne Zha and maybe relate to him in many ways. And then there's Ao Bing. To be given that opportunity, I felt that I was presented with the prize of the year to voice this woman. When you're doing an animation, you do it from scratch. You are working your way through all the different nuances. But here, the director and his team, who painstakingly worked five years on this incredible movie, had already laid out the nuances, wit, humor, anger, and the fierceness of this woman and her husband. How she protects the child, defends him, when she's gentle with him, when she's the ferocious warrior, and then to the heartbreaking part where they have to say goodbye. io9: You've voiced characters across wildly different worlds—from Minions and Transformers to Kung Fu Panda 2 and Ark. In the first film, Lady Yin was voiced by Stephanie Sheh, known for her role as Sailor Moon. Her performance carried the same quiet strength and maternal depth that I found in your performance. Did you draw inspiration from her interpretation, or did you find your own emotional entry point to carry the baton forward? Yeoh: The most important thing is you have to find your own, even though there's already an amazing interpretation, because you cannot mimic somebody else's great performance. At the end of the day, it's your own personal journey with the other characters. When you watch, you can hear [it]. There's just no denying the realism or the actual emotion that you hear, which will help you to feel. It's very superficial when you try and just copy what someone else has done. [Beijing Enlight Media has] done an amazing job giving me a great palette to work with. I work with the director, and he will, once again, go through with me the journey of this mother, of how she carried the baby for three years, the frustration. 'Just get it out of me!' But, I think the one thing I wanted [was] to make her more charming at the beginning. You would hear a mother's voice, 'cause I have quite a bass voice. My voice is kind of low and I so I want to bring her up a bit so I don't sound like a man, or else I'll be doing the general, too. As all actors do, we have to discover our journey with the character and bring to it, emotions that you see, you feel, and push the boundaries. And then under the guidance of the director who's worked on it for like five years—they know it so well—the nuances will come when you understand the story that they are trying to tell. io9: We've talked about the emotionality. But as we mentioned earlier, Ne Zha II is a visually impeccable film but it's also a film that doesn't hold back when it comes to its fierce action and devastating emotional beats. In my IMAX screening, adults, including myself, swore under our breaths in awe of the film. As a performer—especially when it comes to the action being pretty brutal—did you see that kind of raw intensity as part of what makes the film transcend its 'children's movie' label? Yeoh: That's a very good question. Nowadays, especially when the children of the world [see] action, violence or whatever with video games and with so many things like that, they understand this is all magic. This is all mythical. There's a monster that's charging at me with eight tentacles. It's like, 'Yeah, I'm gonna chop it off,' you know. They bring that sense of fantastical to do it so it's not like two humans brutally fighting with each other. These [fights] are with swords, with magic, with all these kinds of things. It is a different world. Nothing in that world is real. When you bring it in a sense of animation, it gives them a boundary where [kids] can sit back and go, 'This is all pretend. This is funny and fun.' I think you sort of get away with it. I don't want to use the word but then they're so immune to it because they mix it with the humor. Even I am, like you say, swearing under my breath or going, 'Whoa, how can that even happen?' The beauty of it is mind-blowing. We know our dragons to be the gods of the skies. [I] never imagined they would be all tied, chained up. The whole crowd of beautiful mythical creatures, all chained up underground like that. That whole scene of them when they surge out is breathtaking. Even though it's very tragic, you go, 'Wow, this is so beautiful to look at.' In that way, you are transported. Even as a child, I'm sure there must be some moments where they go, 'Ah, it's scary.' But then after that, you go, 'Oh, wow, it's kind of cool.' If you keep them in that mindset, then it's a very different kind of magical world. io9: I wanted to take a moment to give you your flowers. You stand alongside icons like Bruce Lee, Jet Li, and Jackie Chan—in what I'd call kung fu cinema's Mount Rushmore—not just for your artistry, but for the way you've championed Asian representation on the global stage. How do you see Ne Zha II contributing to the growing recognition that Chinese animation isn't some new arrival, but a long-standing force that's been evolving in parallel with Western animation and Japanese anime? Yeoh: Thank you for that. How do you convince… You can't talk and say, 'This is what we can do.' Now you can see exactly what it is. I hope now that you go back and watch Ne Zha I. There are so many more animations coming from my part of the world that deserve recognition. Don't take my word for it. Go and watch it yourself. Then tell me, were you blown away or were you disappointed? Then you can say it. We have been waiting for an opportunity. It's not as if you can demand that your audience likes it or not. Sometimes magic happens, and I truly believe Ne Zha II will be that magic ingredient so that they will be able to say, 'Whoa, this was an all-Chinese effort.' Kudos to director Jiao Zi and his team, who painstakingly worked for five years to make a labor of love. They were like Ne Zha, saying, 'We will not back down. We'll keep going. We will keep demonstrating this is our self-worth. We can do this.' Anyone who does animation will understand the amount of time and effort that goes into it. And anyone who loves animation will be able to see that in Ne Zha II—everything that was poured into it. I hope that with the English voiceover, young children will be able to enjoy it as much as their parents or their uncles, aunties, grandmothers, and grandfathers. io9: That ties beautifully with my last question for you. At my screening, the theater was filled with Asian families—mothers, fathers, aunties, uncles—passing snacks, fresh from school pickups, turning rows of seats into something like a comfy living room. If you could speak directly to the young viewers watching Ne Zha II—especially those seeing themselves in Ao Bing and Ne Zha—what would you want them to carry with them after the credits roll? Yeoh: Was your audience mainly Asian? io9: A vast majority. Yeoh: That's a very interesting thing. Honestly, I hope Ne Zha II will go out to the non-Asian society, especially the non-Asian society. But, having said that, a lot of our—what we call ABCs (American-born Chinese), the young children who were born in America don't really know the mythology or the folklore that came from the East. For them, I hope this is an eye opener to be able to understand more of their own culture that's been here for such a long time. And for them to be blown away by what they can offer to their friends as well. They embrace the Moanas and the Cocos when they watch it with their American friends, but I think this is a great opportunity for the exchange to be on equal terms. It's like 'show me yours and I'll show you mine' sort of thing, which I think is very important in this day and age where we are embracing diversity. Not so much difference in cultures, but the similarities. I think the core message here is self-discovery, the journey with your loved ones and family, and standing up for yourself. I hope little kids, when they watch it, see the love their parents have for them and what parents will do for them. You know, when you're young, you don't really see it. You just get petulant when they don't give you your iPad or your phone, or something like that. But when you watch Ne Zha II, you can see that whatever you do, your parents will always be there for you. Ne Zha II returns to theaters and IMAX on August 22. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Long, lavender and lethal: Rumi's braid from ‘KPop Demon Hunters' is summer's boldest trend
Huntr/x frontwoman Rumi has an enviable braid that's inspiring fans to style their hair "up, up, up." Enter scene: The bathroom. A mom stands behind her daughter, staring at the mirror. A brush in hand, elastics up her wrist, she works tirelessly to create a braid that emulates the strength and power of a demon slayer. She's only mortal, but she knows the pressure is on: She's trying to sculpt her little one's hair to look like the KPop Demon Hunters heroine whose long, voluminous lavender braid is the style of the summer. Mom does her best. Rumi's animated after all. That still hasn't stopped young girls from wanting to re-create her look in real life. Since its June 20 release, the animated film — about a fictional K-pop girl group Huntr/x, made up of Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong) and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo) — has become a record-breaking sensation for Netflix. It's the most-watched animated movie in the streamer's history and No. 2 on its all-time most popular list with 210.5 million views. The soundtrack has exploded too, dominating four of the top five spots on the Billboard Global 200, led by the anthem 'Golden.' The fiercely stylish and ultra-talented characters, who lead double lives as demon hunters, have sparked an online beauty phenomenon, where fans, cosplayers and hairstylists are re-creating the trio's bold looks. The breakout favorite is Huntr/x frontwoman Rumi's purple 'do — high-swept, thick, rope-like braid that's dramatic enough to whip around in battle. Google Trends data for July shows that 'rumi hairstyle' spiked +1,360% following KPop Demon Hunters' release, and it was the top trending 'hair tutorial.' People also searched the term 'dragon braid,' a style (also known as 'pull-through braid') that resembles the mythical creature's scales, more than ever before in the same time period. On TikTok, there are seemingly endless Rumi braid tutorials, showing kids and women of all ages (as well as the occasional male) copying her coif, most set to the soundtrack songs. Animated characters have long influenced hair trends — think Elsa's blond braid in Frozen, Cruella de Vil's black-and-white bob or Moana's natural waves. But KPop Demon Hunters marks a shift: It isn't from Disney, yet it's reaching a broad mainstream audience, including parents and kids who may not typically follow K-pop or anime. With its blend of female empowerment, demon-slaying fantasy, music that takes you 'up, up, up' and cool characters viewers want to embody, the movie has become a pop culture powerhouse in its own right this summer. Larger-than-life 'I mean, who doesn't love a big, bold hairstyle like that?' Ryan Terhune, a content creator who goes by @GingerSnark, tells Yahoo. She re-created the look for a video with 9.9 million views on TikTok and another 9.3 million on YouTube. 'Something so cartoony and larger-than-life was incredibly fun to bring off the screen and into reality.' Terhune demonstrated the hairdo using both Dutch and dragon braid styles. For Dutch, which is closest to Rumi's look in the back, you start by bumping up the hair in the front, then take three strands and cross the outer ones under the middle ones as you braid down, adding more sections of hair as you get to the end. It results in a braid that sits on top of the head. The dragon method is fuller and involves multiple ponytails. You start with one small section in the top center, weaving two strands around and behind it, creating a second. Fluffing up the front as you go, Terhune splits the first ponytail, flips the second one through and then brings the halves back together. You add more sections of hair as you plait, similar to the Dutch style, fanning out the pieces of the braid for volume. For wannabe demon slayers with extra-long tresses, Terhune recommends switching off the shoulder you're braiding over so that the look falls straight down your back. Terhune has had a few similar videos — like one inspired by Queen Charlotte from Bridgerton — go viral. However, 'I was definitely pleasantly surprised by how much everyone seemed to like this one,' she says. She says styling her strands to mimic Rumi's took about 30 minutes to complete: 25 for the braid, and five more to accessorize it with gold jewelry. (The redhead opted not to color her entire head purple.) Making hair tutorials based on the Huntr/x trio has netted her more than 20 million views across her social media channels. Terhune also filmed how-to's for Mira's and Zoey's hairstyles. The former is chest to waist locks with two high pigtails (in a raspberry pink onscreen), while the latter is twin braided buns with microbangs. Each style took five to 10 minutes for Terhune to pull together and brought in 111K and 204K views on TikTok to date, respectively. A third video, showing how to achieve all three looks, netted another 1.1 million views on TikTok. Rumi hair makeovers have also been an especially popular activity for moms and children to do together, which is the case for California-based Dee Castle and her 5-year-old daughter. 'My daughter loves watching KPop Demon Hunters, so when we saw Rumi's hairstyle, we just knew we had to try to re-create it,' she tells Yahoo. Their attempt doing the dragon style took 40 minutes and 'a lot of patience,' says Castle, whose TikTok has been watched 1.4 million times. 'The tricky part was getting the details right while still making it comfortable [for my daughter],' she says. 'Once I got into it, it was just fun, and seeing her light up when she looked in the mirror made it worth every second.' Castle views the experience as both a creative outlet and a bonding moment — just like watching the film together. '[My daughter] was completely captivated, especially by the music and, of course, Rumi,' she says. 'I loved how the film combined action with the energy of K-pop; it was entertaining for both of us. And honestly, seeing how inspired she was afterward made me appreciate it even more. It sparked her imagination, and that's how the whole hairstyle re-creation came about.' Other TikTokers have gotten creative beyond imitation. A woman made a Rumi wig out of yarn and another copied it with a balloon. A character nearly a decade in the making Seeing this unfold online has been a hair-whipping joy for KPop Demon Hunters codirectors Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans. The film's concept was born from the South Korean-born Kang's desire to celebrate and explore her heritage — and that same influence was woven into Rumi's striking visual design. 'We were inspired by Korean traditional hairstyles, which incorporate a lot of braiding of the hair,' codirector Maggie Kang tells Yahoo. With Rumi, 'We explored ways to modernize a braided hairstyle fit for a K-pop icon,' she continues. 'A big braid worn at the top of her head felt stylish and striking — and as a nod to our anime influences, we made her hair lavender and her braid super long, as long as we could make it, so that it could whip around as she fights off demons.' Kang points out that Rumi's tresses are tied with a daenggi, a traditional Korean ribbon, another detail layered into her look. The overall style isn't just about aesthetics; it also reflects her arc as a pop star grappling with identity. 'Rumi is a character with secrets who keeps things hidden and is closed off, so it felt right for her to wear her hair up and tight rather than loose and free,' Kang adds. The pop slayer character has been nearly a decade in the making. Kang has said that nine years ago, she was created for story artist Radford Sechrist's Plastic Walrus comic. They came up with her name and her signature hairstyle together, and Kang later molded the concept into the Huntr/x leader. The name stuck with Kang so much that she used it for her own daughter: Rumi Oak, who voiced Young Rumi in the movie. For Appelhans, seeing Rumi's influence spread beyond the screen feels surreal, especially as the team aimed to show a more grounded, less glamorous side of the girl group. 'The fact that Rumi's choo-choo train pajama pants have [also] entered the zeitgeist is pretty great [too],' Appelhans tells Yahoo. "It's cool to see our costumes and visuals be received as legit.' Why Rumi's hair hits different While the filmmakers didn't set out to launch fads, they view it as an unexpected bonus. 'Above all, we wanted Rumi's design to be iconic and larger-than-life,' Appelhans says. 'Cosplayers do amazing work to re-create their favorite characters, so we just focused on making Rumi an incredible character with a bold look. We knew if the audience fell in love with her, they'd find a way to bring her look to life.' He adds, 'It's been awesome to see them do exactly that.' Plans are being made to capitalize on the movie's sleeper success — with rumors of sequels and stage shows — and it's headed to theaters with a sing-along release set for Aug. 23 and Aug. 24. But the film's impact is already spreading beyond Netflix's playbook. A lot of comments on these viral videos talk about how the Huntr/x trio is inspiring Halloween costume ideas, especially for groups of friends. These tutorials may be more relevant than ever come October. Surprisingly, Spirit Halloween says Rumi's high-swept power braid isn't something they're re-creating for sale this season. 'Not for this year,' a spokesperson tells Yahoo.
Geek Tyrant
4 hours ago
- Geek Tyrant
Incredible Trailer for the WWII Rescue Thriller DONGJI RESCUE — GeekTyrant
Well Go USA has dropped a gripping new trailer for the upcoming Chinese WWII rescue thriller Dongji Rescue , and this movie looks like it's going to take audiences on an intense ride. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Hu Guan ( Black Dog , The Eight Hundred ) alongside Fei Zhenxiang, the film is inspired by the harrowing true events of the 1942 'Lisbon Maru Sinking Incident.' During the early days of World War II, a Japanese transport ship carrying over 1,800 British prisoners of war was struck by an American submarine near China's Zhoushan Islands. What followed was an extraordinary act of courage, as Dongji fishermen risked everything to save more than 300 British soldiers while evading Japanese forces scouring the waters. Nearby Dongji fishermen risked their lives to rescue the British servicemen, and protected and rescued 3 Britons during a massive Japanese search. The new trailer teases a relentless, high-stakes rescue that feels like Mad Max: Fury Road on the open sea. The movie stars Zhu Yilong, Wu Lei, Ni Ni, Yang Haoyu, Chen Minghao, William Franklyn-Miller, Ni Dahong, Li Jiuxiao, and Wang Yiquan, the cast brings together a mix of Chinese and international talent to tell this rarely seen chapter of wartime history. The trailer teased a blend of heart-pounding sea chases, tense hide-and-seek with enemy ships, and moments of sacrifice. Dongji Rescue , features a screenplay by Shu Chen, Runnian Dong, and Ji Zhang, with Jing Liang producing. The film opened in China last month to strong reception and will hit select US theaters on August 22, 2025, courtesy of Well Go USA.
