Cartoon Network originally opted to produce a live-action/CG hybrid television film adaptation of the novel in the late 2000s, but it never came to fruition. Paramount later acquired the rights for an animated film in March 2019, with Carlos Baena attached as director. Mikros Animation provided animation. Much of the voice cast was revealed between 2020 and 2022, following Golding's casting in July 2020. Hui later replaced Baena as director in January 2022. Steve Jablonsky composed the score.[2][3]
Originally planned for theatrical release by Paramount Pictures, The Tiger's Apprentice was released on Paramount+ on February 2, 2024 after being delayed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot
In 2009 in Hong Kong, Mrs. Lee and her baby grandson Tom are chased by yaoguai. Mrs. Lee fends them off with the help of the Zodiac Warriors, a group of shapeshifters rooted in the Chinese zodiac, before confronting Ms. Penny Loo, a sorceress controlling the yaoguai.
15 years later, Tom, now living with his grandmother in San Francisco, faces a bully at school, partially for the Chinese appearance of his house, when he inadvertently unleashes a magical force. After school, Tom removes some charms from his home, which unbeknownst to him were protecting against the evil spirits. Soon after, Mr. Hu, the tiger of the Warriors, visits after sensing that the charms have been dispatched. During the fight, Mrs. Lee throws the stone to Tom, making him the guardian right at that moment, before activating all the protective charms together, which results in a blast intended to kill her and Loo, but the latter survives.
Hu brings Tom to a safe place where he comes to know about the Zodiac Warriors and how they swore to protect the guardian. Later that night, Tom has a dream where he sees a bright Phoenix being covered in darkness, and a woman tells her that now he walks two worlds: the world of mortals and the world of magic. Soon the whole group of Zodiac Warriors are reunited at the Temple of Twelve. However, some of the Zodiac Warriors don't show up, which leads to an uneasy situation. In the meantime, Tom goes to confront Loo, who's revealed to be the mother of Räv, the new student at Tom's school. The Zodiac Warriors arrive, learning that the missing members were captured by Loo, and another few become trapped as well. Tom, Räv, and the remaining members eventually escape.
Tom focuses on his training. To gain complete power as a guardian, he must be able to see the Phoenix inside the stone, which Tom's lineage can see. Mistral, the dragon, tells Tom one night that during the fight between Mrs. Lee and Loo, Hu died protecting him. After defeating Loo in the battle, Mrs. Lee gives a part of her soul to save Hu. Tom overhears Hu saying he may never be able to see the Phoenix and feeling lost, he goes to his old home. Tom then sees his grandmother but Räv appears and tell him it is a trick and it's really Loo. As they are escaping, Loo steals the Phoenix Stone from him.
After Tom informs the Warriors, Hu reveals that Loo will use the stone on the eve of the Lunar New Year when the sun sets. On that day, Tom and the Warriors find Loo and a large battle ensues. Hu is briefly captured, but with Räv's help, he is freed along with the other Warriors. However, Loo activates the Phoenix stone to suck all the souls out of the mortals. Just then, Tom finally sees the Phoenix inside the stone. Tom removes the darkness torturing the Phoenix, reversing the effects and defeating Loo. Tom's sacrifice results in his death and his soul is about to leave his body. Hu, with the help of the other Zodiac Warriors, performs Nu Kua, which leads him to the Ocean of Tears. There, Hu pleads to the Empress to give away a part of his soul to save Tom, which is accepted. Later, Hu offers his shop as Tom's new home. In the mid-credit scene, Tom, as a result of containing part of Hu's soul, is able to transform into a tiger.
Lucy Liu as Nu Kua / Cynthia, Nu Kua's the empress of the spirit world. Cynthia is a frog who owns a dumpling shop and is guardian of the temple of the 12[4]
In October 2008, Cartoon Network announced a television film adaptation of Laurence Yep's 2003 novel, The Tiger's Apprentice, set to premiere on the network in 2010. Produced by Cartoon Network Studios, the film would have been a live-action/CG hybrid, with David Magee penning the screenplay and Jane Startz executive producing.[7] The project never came to fruition.
In March 2019, Paramount Pictures announced an animated adaptation of the novel set to be theatrically released in February 2022.[8] In June 2019, Paramount Animation announced that Carlos Baena would direct the film, with Magee and Harry Cripps writing the screenplay, Startz producing, and Raman Hui and Kane Lee executive producing.[9] In July 2020, the film was delayed until February 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[10] In January 2022, it was revealed that Hui would instead direct the film, with Paul Watling and Yong Duk Jhun co-directing and Bob Persichetti producing.[11] Baena would still remain in an executive producer role.[4]New Republic Pictures co-financed the film, but is not credited.[12]
Animation was provided by Mikros Animation in Paris.[15] The film had a team of 80 animators and had a 4-year production. Animators from Spain, England, Belgium and Canada did remote work.[16]
Post-production was finished in mid-2023.[16] On the day the film was released, two crew members who worked on the film revealed on Letterboxd that the film went through a turbulent production. The first user, identified as didiwa, cited harassment and rewrites occurring until 2023, along with some of the production crew doing multiple jobs and working several pay grades above actual roles, with no vacation allowed while others flew across Europe with paid expenses.[17] Devon Manney, the second user, worked as an apprentice story artist from June to December 2019, and was laid off with the rest of the story team a few days before Christmas of that year, saying that Paramount "wanted to make a Spider-Verse knock off".[18][19]
In December 2023, it was announced that Steve Jablonsky would compose the film's score.[4]Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" was covered by Zhu and released on January 26, 2024.[20] Japanese girl group Atarashii Gakko! released the song "Hello" from the movie's soundtrack as a single on February 9, 2024.
Release
The Tiger's Apprentice had its world premiere in Los Angeles on January 27, 2024, and was released by Paramount+ on February 2, 2024.[4] It was given a theatrical release in Australia on April 4.[citation needed]
The film was originally scheduled for theatrical release by Paramount Pictures on February 11, 2022, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[21] it was delayed until February 10, 2023 and later December 20, 2023.[22][23] It was then further delayed to January 19, 2024.[14] However, in September 2023, the film was removed from Paramount's theatrical release schedule and was moved to a streaming release on Paramount+ on an unspecified 2024 date instead.[24] In December 2023, along with the teaser trailer, the film's final release date was revealed.[4]
Reception
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 53% of 34 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.3/10.[25]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 55 out of 100, based on eight critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[26]
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