Interview: Michelle Yeoh on ‘Ne Zha II’
When Michelle Yeoh first encountered Ne Zha II, a film that has since become the highest-grossing non-English-language movie in history, it wasn’t in English. She, like millions across China, experienced the animated epic in its original Mandarin. But even as she marveled at its scale, she found herself reading subtitles instead of fully paying attention to the screen.
“I really loved that film,” she recalls. “But my Mandarin sucks. I was having a lot of problems trying to understand and had to read subtitles all of the time. And I found that it distracted me from the stunning imagery that was in front of me, and all the different nuances that were there.”
Yeoh, who began her career in Hong Kong in the ’80s, found herself wishing for an English dub of the film. Not for herself, but for the young audiences she imagined watching who may not be fluent in Mandarin. “I remember thinking, ‘I hope they dub this into English,’ because I really wanted the very young audience to be able to enjoy this as well,” she says. “Because you know, it is, it’s like Moana, it’s like Coco, it’s like Spirited Away. It’s for young children as well as for adults.”
So when A24 approached her to join the English-language version, she didn’t hesitate. Yeoh voices Lady Yin, the fiercely protective and tender mother of Ne Zha, and the chieftess who governs over the town of Chentang Pass. “I jumped at the opportunity,” she says. “Because I truly believe this is a very good bridge that anyone who doesn’t speak or understand Mandarin would be able to cross. To appreciate the mythology, the folklore we grew up with, and to embrace it.”
Upon its release, Ne Zha II became not only a record-shattering blockbuster but also a cultural phenomenon. Directed by Jiaozi, the film is an audacious reimagining of one of China’s most enduring legends, blending mythology with contemporary wit and irreverence. Its story of a mischievous boy born with uncontrollable powers resonated with audiences far beyond China’s borders.
Yeoh, who saw the film’s potential to connect with audiences from across the globe, wasn’t surprised by the film’s global success. “It’s very heartwarming, very important,” she says. “Because this cultural exchange builds bridges — from heart to heart. The core of the story is so relatable, because it’s about family, it’s about love, it’s about our own personal journey of self-discovery, of not letting anyone or even the gods deem your fate. You fight for what you believe in, for who you are.”
The character of Ne Zha has been a popular mythological figure in China for centuries, having first appeared in media in the 16th-century novel Investiture of the Gods by Xu Zhonglin. He has also been the central character in over 20 different films and television programs, both live-action and animated, including the animated feature film Nezha Conquers the Dragon King, which screened at the 1980 Cannes Film Festival and is considered one of the greatest works of Chinese animation. However, Ne Zha was never able to break through in the global cultural zeitgesit. Until now, that is. “Great art transcends borders,” says Yeoh of the breakout success the film has been met with. “And it’s very important, especially at this time in the world.”
The process of dubbing, however, is rarely straightforward. Too often, Yeoh notes, the poetry of one language collapses into clumsy literalism in another. “When you’re faced with bad translation, I literally roll my eyes, shake my head, and put my face in my hands in despair,” she says. “All languages have their own complexities and nuances. You can’t just translate literally. It needs someone who understands both languages to find that perfect balance.”
That was what reassured her about the process of dubbing Ne Zha II. “The people who did the translation did a really, really good job,” she says. “The heartfelt emotions, the nuances, the comedy, the wit — all of that came into play with simplicity and elegance. For me, otherwise, you can’t do the voiceover if you’re cringing all the way, thinking, ‘What am I saying?’”
Instead, she found the experience of dubbing the film a joy, thanks to the crew who made sure to translate the film to the best of their abilities. “It was such an easy, joyful chance to be able to do the voiceover,” she says. “Because the words came out right. The emotions were there. It felt honest.”
One of the things that appealed to Yeoh about Ne Zha II is its refusal to talk down to young viewers. Where many family films soften emotional edges, this one embraces them, trusting younger audience members to comprehend the film’s nuances rather than dumbing it down for them. And because of that, Ne Zha II has been able to find an audience beyond its initial target demographic, Yeoh included. “I saw the original, and I understood that this is not just a movie for adults or children,” she explaims. “It’s for both. When you relate to the child, you relate to Ne Zha — being mischievous or rebellious, angry at your parents, or bullied. And then as adults, as parents, you understand what they are going through and how you would protect and defend them. That’s what makes it so powerful.”
To Yeoh, this duality makes the film not only an act of cultural exchange, but also one that connects parent and child as well. “I’m always trying to find bridges,” she says. “Stories that can cross over, that transcend boundaries. Because the core of it is love, family. When this came along, it was like a gem. It was glorious to be given the privilege to sail across the seas and bring something that’s so steeped in our culture, in our mythology, in our folklore — but at the same time, for you to be able to enjoy it the way we enjoy the folklore and myths of the West.”
In the end, Yeoh’s role as Lady Yin may seem a small part of an epic filled with gods, demons, and heavenly battles. But her presence (and passion) for the film adds layers and nuance to the subject matter; Lady Yin is a mother whose fierce love anchors Ne Zha against a world determined to reject him. And Yeoh, in lending her voice, embodies the bridge the film seeks to build, connecting myth with modernity, East with West, and in the process, reminding audiences that the story belongs as much to children as it does to their parents.
NE ZHA II is now playing in theaters.