Toei Animation Unveils “Monkey Quest” at Annecy: A Global Anime Collaboration

Toei Animation’s feature *Monkey Quest* premiered at Annecy. The plot follows 12-year-old Elle and her infant brother Adam, who join the monkey guardian Okon (voiced by Adam Devine) against the villain Vex (voiced by J.K. Simmons). Inspired by the Chinese novel *Journey to the West*, the story is reimagined as a space adventure that blends humor, satire and emotional depth.

Variety Magazine

Originally planned as a Japan-centric production, the film shifted to a worldwide talent pool as global anime interest grew. Producer Yoshi Ikezawa says many leading animators now see anime as part of their creative language, leading to collaboration among Japanese, U.S., and other international artists.

Variety Magazine

Producer Yoshi Ikezawa and co-producer Joseph Chou posed the core question of anime’s global reach. Character designer Naoto Oshima, known for *Sonic the Hedgehog*, created the original concept. Director-screenwriter David N. Weiss leads the narrative, co-directors Stephanie Ma Stine and Takao Noguchi shape the visual style, and Sanzigen handles the 2D-over-3D animation blend.

Variety Magazine

The film overlays hand-drawn 2D animation on 3D CG, notably for ethereal-dimension scenes. Takao Noguchi stresses clear silhouettes; design also uses kanji-inspired forms and symbolic motifs linked to each character’s role.

Variety Magazine

Ikezawa says the project aims for the mainstream awareness and emotional connection of major U.S. animated films, creating characters audiences retain for years and positioning anime as a global family adventure.

Variety Magazine

Producer Yoshi Ikezawa highlighted Japanese, U.S., and teams, praising animators for seeing anime as part of their language, while Director David N. Weiss lauded Toei’s notes, likening the studio culture to that fostered by Sherry Lansing at Paramount. Co-director Stephanie Ma Stine expressed pride in joining Toei’s legacy, recalling her childhood love of “Sailor Moon.”

Variety Magazine

All source excerpts present a consistent description of the film’s concept, production process, and creative leadership; no contradictory details or missing information were identified.

Variety Magazine

• “Anime has an incredible ability to create characters that audiences carry with them for many years,” — Yoshi Ikezawa, Producer.

Variety Magazine

• “The original idea [from Joseph Chou] was essentially ‘Journey to the West’ in space,” — David N. Weiss, Director and screenwriter.

Variety Magazine

• “The Japanese side brought the history, craft and discipline of anime production. The U.S. side brought a strong sense of story structure, character emotion and global family entertainment. And the international artists brought their own passion and point of view. That is what made the project feel alive to us.” — Yoshi Ikezawa, Producer.

Variety Magazine

The film remains in post-production and was shown as a work-in-progress at Annecy. No official release date has been announced, but the preview signals an upcoming global launch aimed at family audiences.

Variety Magazine