This story contains minor spoilers for “Ne Zha 2.”
In contrast to the likes of Pixar movies or English dubs of Studio Ghibli films, the A24 re-release of “Ne Zha 2” has a decided lack of A-listers turning to voice acting — with one huge exception. For the new English-language version of the Chinese film, which broke box office records when it released this past winter, A24 opted for a cast largely of professional voice actors whose work you can hear in video games like “Marvel Rivals” or anime like “Dan Da Dan,” but who the average moviegoer probably would be unfamiliar with. But that huge exception is in the form of Michelle Yeoh, who supplies a healthy dose of star power to play the role of the titular devil child’s loving mother, Lady Yin.
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Yeoh came into the process already a fan of the film, having caught it in Hong Kong theaters during its original run. As a child, she grew up with the myths of the impish young boy Ne Zha, a huge part of popular culture in China. A veteran of Hong Kong’s film scene who rose to fame with her work in action films, Yeoh admired the movie’s animation and particularly it’s impressive action scenes. “As a person who comes from the action world, it’s just mindblowing seeing the arm to arm combat [this movie] has,” she said in an interview with IndieWire.
Yeoh said she rarely rarely watches films dubbed. However, she felt an exception should be made for “Ne Zha 2,” in part to expose it to a wider audience of its target demographic: children.
“I felt very strongly that it should be dubbed so that we can appeal to the young audience who love animation. And I would love to expose them to our Chinese cultural mythology. And the only way they would be able to watch and understand is if they can hear it. Because I myself personally, was going like, ‘Oh my God, this is just so much to read and listen to and watch,’” Yeoh said. “So when they came to me and they said they were going to do this, I jumped at the opportunity.”
A warrior woman who defends the town of Chentang Pass with her husband, Lady Yin isn’t dissimilar to the type of roles Yeoh cut her teeth on early in her career. The character isn’t in the film long, but makes an impact when it counts, with her complicated relationship with her son proving one of the film’s key emotional touchstones.
Yeoh called the process of voicing the character “very easy,” and credited the work with her vocal coach and dub director in helping her to easily slip into the role. “All I had to do was just step in and be this beautiful mother that they had created,” Yeoh said. The one part that proved difficult for her to record was the climactic moment of the film where a dying Yin shares parting wisdom with her son. Even then, her difficulty stemmed less from acting than it did her own emotions as a fan of the film.
“To mirror that, to go into that journey with her was, as an actor, was not difficult. It really wasn’t,” Yeoh told IndieWire. “But it was really, truly heart-wrenching. I mean I was in the recording booth with a puddle of tears around me.”
Discussing why “Ne Zha 2” has proven so successful, Yeoh credits the film’s simple but deeply relatable message of ostracization and self-determination. Yeoh directly compared it to her other recent films “Wicked” and its sequel “For Good,” which has a very similar message of being judged by society and finding your own self worth, as a comparison of how “Ne Zha’s” themes can translate universally to all audiences.
“It’s a story about friendship, about family, about being accepted for who you are, a journey of self-discovery. It echoes in so many of us today,” Yeoh said. “‘Wicked’ is also similar in that way, when you are different and people judge you by who you are, and then finding your self-worth and at the end of the day it’s family, friendship that helps you stand up and be who you are.”
“Ne Zha 2” is currently playing in theaters.
