Wish Dragon, Netflix’s upcoming animated comedy, is set to release on June 11. the trailer and poster for the movie have just been released. Chris Appelhans, the writer and director of the film, revisits the Aladdin story in modern-day China. The film is produced by Aron Warner, Chris Bremble, and Jackie Chan and stars Jimmy Wong, John Cho, Constance Wu, Natasha Liu Bordizzo, and Will Yun Lee. The movie will explore the meaning of friendship and will question what truly matters in life.
The trailer shows a pink and purple dragon burst out of a teapot to grant Din (Voiced by Jimmy Wong) three wishes. The dragon, Long, who has been stuck in the pot for a thousand years is determined to grant these wishes as soon as possible, but Din is careful about not wasting any. His ultimate wish is to be reunited with his childhood best friend, Lina. You can see the trailer here.
Along with producing the movie, Jackie also voiced the character of Long in Mandarin. Wish Dragon is the first film produced by Base Animation, a new animation studio that is part of the VFX firm Base FX. Director Chris Appelhans “wanted the film made in China, with a strong Mainland China creative team, an international cast of talent, and a focus on the hopes and dreams of contemporary China.” The film is Appelhans’ directorial debut.
Asian representation in movies has become more crucial than ever as Asian-Americans face xenophobia in America. Stories like these that portray Asian culture in a sincere and authentic manner are really important. Hollywood must continue to tell such diverse stories to try and lessen the gap between cultures and combat any kind of discrimination.
Wish Dragon was released theatrically in China on January 15, 2021, and will be released on Netflix internationally on June 11, 2021.