Wish Dragon

***Wish Dragon*** is an upcoming computer-animated movie starring Jackie Chan, whose company, Sparkle Roll Media, will be a producer and co-investor in the film. Chan voices characters in the Mandarin release of the film, while John Cho voices the character in English.The story is a "genie-in-a-bottle" retelling set in contemporary China and is based on an original story by Chris Appelhans, who also directs the film. It is the thirty-sixth Sony Pictures Animation film.

*"The modern-day fairy tale picks up the moral challenges that emerge from the encounter between a boy and a dragon who is able to make wishes come true."*

The film was released on January 15th, 2021 by Sony Pictures Releasing in China, and is set to be released on Netflix in the United States on June 11th, 2021.

## Plotedit | edit source

“Wish Dragon” is the story of Din, a 19-yr old college student living in a working-class neighborhood of modern-day Shanghai, who has big dreams but small means. Din’s life changes overnight when he finds an old teapot containing a Wish Dragon named Long – a magical dragon able to grant wishes – and he is given the chance to reconnect with his childhood best friend, Li-Na.

## Castedit | edit source

* John Cho as Long
	+ Jackie Chan as Long (Mandarin)
	+ Max Charles as Young Long
* Jimmy Wong as Din
	+ Ian Chen as Young Din
* Natasha Liu Bordizzo as Li Na
* Constance Wu as Mom
* Jimmy O. Yang as Small Goon
* Bobby Lee as Tall Goon
* Will Yun Lee as Mr. Wong
* Aaron Yoo
* Ronny Chieng

## Developmentedit | edit source

In April 2018, Wish Dragon was announced to be the first film produced by Base Animation, a new animation studio that is part of the VFX firm Base FX. Their goal of the film and the Base Animation studio is to "make world class animation in China for China… and the world". 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 also had a set release of July 26, 2019. In June 2019, it was confirmed that the film was delayed to 2020. In October 2020, it was confirmed by Rad Sechrist (who served as head of story on the film) that the film would instead be released in 2021.

## Triviaedit | edit source

* The third animated film to confirm its MPAA rating before the first trailer after *Wonder Park (2019) and Abominable (2019).*
* Sony Animation's first China feature film.
* Sony Animation's eighth fully animated film to not be accompanied by a short film after *Open Season (2006), The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012), Hotel Transylvania (2012), Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017), The Star (2017), Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018), Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), and The Mitchells vs. The Machines (2021).*
* The film will be released on Netflix, making it Sony Pictures Animation's second theatrically-produced film not to have a domestic theatrical release after *The Mitchells vs. the Machines* and before *Vivo*.
	+ Thus, it is also the fifth animated film to be released straight to digital instead of having a theatrical release following the COVID-19 pandemic; the first four being Warner Animation Group's *Scoob!*, Disney/Pixar's *Soul*, and Paramount Animation/Nickelodeon Movies' *The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run* (which had a theatrical release in Canada, though, and was already released on Netflix internationally as the second animated film to do so in international countries), and Sony Pictures Animation's own *The Mitchells vs. the Machines*.
	+ Not counting the aforementioned *SpongeBob* film for the latter reason, it is also the fourth Netflix original animated film that was originally intended for a theatrical release in the United States after Paramount's *The Little Prince*, Aardman Animations' *A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon*, and Sony Pictures Animation's own *The Mitchells vs. the Machines*.