2 days ago
Michelle Yeoh says ‘hell yes' to English dub of ‘Ne Zha 2' (VIDEO)
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — Michelle Yeoh is lending her voice to the English-language version of Ne Zha 2, the Chinese animated smash that raked in over US$2.2 billion (RM9.3 billion) to become the biggest animated film ever.
Channel NewsAsia reported that after watching it in Hong Kong, and also while being fluent in Mandarin, Yeoh found the subtitles hard to follow amid the dazzling visuals — and knew that kids wouldn't stand a chance without a dub.
Soon enough, studio A24 and CMC Pictures invited her to voice Ne Zha's mother, Lady Yin — and Yeoh's response was a resounding, 'Hell yes.'
The English dub opens in over 2,500 North American theatres on August 22.
The film follows the young demon-reincarnate Ne Zha, striving to rewrite his destiny by saving his village and friends.
This screen grab shows a scene from the movie featuring Lady Yin, voiced by Michelle Yeoh, and her son, the young demon-reincarnate Ne Zha. — Screengrab from YouTube/A24
The sequel is accessible even if you haven't seen the first one, as it provides all the necessary backstory.
Crafted over five years by 4,000 creators across 138 studios, the epic 143-minute spectacle weaves together 2,400 animation shots and 1,900 visual effects scenes.
Yeoh praised the artistry, saying the team 'pushed all the boundaries…created this magical world…intricacies are mind-blowing.'
The Oscar winner also helped fine-tune the English translation, maintaining a poetic nuance while keeping it contemporary and accessible.
After earning over US$20 million in North America with subtitles earlier this year, Yeoh hopes the dub will help Ne Zha 2 resonate even more widely.
'It's the universal language of family... of the underdog,' she said. 'It immerses you into our culture…a beautiful way to cross that bridge.'
