A poster for Journey to the West

TV host Cao Kefan and actor Liu Xiao Ling Tong attend a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday. Photos: Courtesy of Blue Diamond Culture Media

Almost three decades after the 1986 TV version Journey to the West first aired, lead actors Liu Xiao Ling Tong (Zhang Jinlai) and Ma Dehua have joined forces again - this time for a big screen 3D remake with American studio Paramount. 

Journey to the West, or the story of the Monkey King, is one of the most well-known Chinese legends not only at home but abroad as well. The 1986 Chinese TV version is regarded as a classic adaptation, with its lead actors, especially the portraits of the Monkey King (Zhang) and Pig (Ma), seen as unsurpassable examples of their characters.

Although no scripts have been finalized, a press conference was held Wednesday afternoon in Beijing to announce the cooperation between Chinese company Ruyi Xinxin Film Investment and Paramount to produce a 3D film.

"I watched TV drama Journey to the West almost every summer vacation during my childhood," Ke Liming, president of Ruyi Xinxin, told press at the conference. Like many people born in the 1980s and early 1990s, Ke said the drama as well as Zhang and Ma had a deep impact on him. "I am honored. The major driving force behind this project is the respect and love for the drama, and there will be little commercial concern."

Coming with a group of executives from the studio, Rob Moore, vice chairman of Paramount, also attended the conference.

While directors for the film remake have not been decided, Mark Johnson, the chair for the Oscar's foreign language committee, has signed on to produce, a sign that the film is aiming to reach Western audiences, as well.

A classic novel widely recognized worldwide, endless adaptations of the story in nearly every possible format have been made since the novel was first written in the 16th century. However, how the Monkey King should be portrayed and how far the adaptation goes beyond the original work is often a topic of hot discussion.

Dressed all in red, a color Chinese believe to bring good fortune, actor Zhang assured those at the press conference that the appearance of the Monkey King, as well as his personality, will stick to what was portrayed in the 1986 TV series and that the US side will mainly focus on providing technical support.

Zhang explained that he had dreamed of moving the classic to the big screen so it could reach a wider audience for years. Over the years he had received invites from studios at home and abroad, yet disagreements over how to portray the character often drove him off. While he understands that adding a love story can create a selling point in today's market driven society, Zhang is reluctant to do so.

However, Zhang explained that the production crew will have creative ideas when it comes to plot, as they understand that no one wants to see the same story from the TV version retold just for the big screen.

Not the first coproduction between China and the US, recent failures have some nervous about how Journey to the West will perform.

Outcast, the very recently released China-US coproduced period action film starring Hayden Christensen and Nicolas Cage, was highly anticipated when the project was first announced, but in the end only received a 4.5/10 on movie site IMDB. Transformers 4, another cooperation between Chinese companies and Paramount, was severely criticized despite earning a high box office.

"I think Paramount has shown both ability to produce movies for global appeal as well as movies for China," Moore said to answer these doubts, explaining that it is his hope that with Ke's understanding of Chinese audiences and the story, combined with Paramount's connection to top scriptwriters and filmmakers in Hollywood, Journey to the West will be a film that people will enjoy.

"This is a question I've been thinking about every day," Ke told the Global Times.

"I will spare no effort."

With his US education background and experience as a film producer in China, Ke seems confident about his role in the project, yet he said this is exactly what worries him the most at the moment.

"I hope [moviegoers] give me pressure and advice," Ke said, explained that he doesn't want to get complacent.