The Monkey And The Jewel
feature ANIMATION / wip / family adventure / comedy
An 8-year-old orphan girl, a monkey & a stray dog go on an epic journey in search of where they belong.
the pitch
A family adventure feature animation that will appeal to US and Asian audiences alike. With themes of friendship, bravery, accepting people for their differences, and an inspirational message of wildlife conservation.
Loosely based on the Chinese epic novel Journey To The West, the story of the legendary pilgrimage of a Buddhist monk who travelled across China to obtain and return sacred texts.
In the case of The Monkey and the Jewel, the sacred treasure (the jewel), is a young orphan - who is in fact a princess who was separated from her homeland as a baby, now the sole heir to the throne. Her best friend, the monkey - different to all the others in his village - is searching for his kind, and where he truly belongs. He will unwittingly help return the ‘jewel’ to her palace whilst discovering the true meaning of home. Two pilgrims searching for enlightenment, joined by a third - a stray dog – who’s also searching for a family to call his own.
The intention is to borrow story elements from the Journey To The West but twist them to suit a modern-day retelling. In The Monkey and the Jewel, we focus on our hero’s journey towards enlightenment which each of them can only achieve with the help of the others. This retelling will be less about the demons and supernatural beings featured in the classic novel, and more about natural wonders, wildlife, the environment and obstacles such as the evils of man and dangers of the modern and natural world.
status
Work in progress: currently have 40 pages of the feature written and working towards completing the first draft in the very near future!
Synopsis
Chi (8-year-old girl) and Hanu (8-year-old monkey) live contentedly on a beach in Thailand; they fill their days fishing, collecting fruit, swimming and climbing on rocks, and their nights sleeping under the stars. They are best friends and look after each other like family. They are both outsiders, Hanu the albino monkey looks different to all the rest. Chi though Asian looks slightly different to the other locals and doesn’t understand their language.
One day Chi and Hanu meet Taj, a mystical peacock. Taj tells them of lands far away where they may find their origins. Chi and Hanu depart on an epic journey from their beach home sanctuary in Thailand to the mountains of Eastern China. Once there they find clues that lead them to Western China; through jungles, snowy landscapes, across seas, rivers, deserts and treacherous cities. They travel on foot, on boats, camels, trains, hot air balloons and more. They take in iconic locations such as the Great Wall of China, Yellow Mountains, Bangkok, Kashgar, Beijing, as well as cultural happenings such as Songkram (water festival) and the Harbin Ice City. Along the way they meet a host of animals that call this wild continent home, adding colour and fascination as well as danger and fun in equal measures. One such fun animal is Boo the dog, a lonely and traumatised soul who joins them on their journey and does his best to stay out of trouble, but gets in a lot of trouble...
Though the reason for the journey is primarily to find Hanu’s homeland we eventually discover that another member of the travelling party is far more important, and is in fact a divine treasure that must be returned to her palace and her lost family in the Western regions of China – Chi the lost Empress.
key characters
Chi - the little orphan girl - is 8 years old, she has no memory of her family or of where she’s from. At a younger age she found herself alone on a beach in Thailand, this was where she met Hanu, who befriended her. Chi has no possessions but for her treasured fishing rod. She’s a conservationist; she cares for her beautiful beach home and collects plastic bottles in exchange for money. She sleeps rough under trees and derelict beach huts. Chi is plucky, thoughtful and doesn’t suffer fools, underneath it all she longs for the family she never knew. Hanu is her best friend, she supports him wholeheartedly and will never let him down.
Hanu - the monkey looks different to all other monkeys on his beach in South Thailand. Life consists of eating fruit and generally getting up to mischief at a run down and deserted former beach resort. He’s daring, mischievous and fun loving, but underneath his bravado he feels very alone, he looks different to his peers - and because of this he’s picked on and made to feel like an outsider. He has no family, but for his best friend Chi whom he cares for like a sister.
Boo - the stray dog - Chi and Hanu find Boo tied up and being abused by some mean kids in the city of Bangkok. He’s mistreated and uncared for by his owner, despite this he maintains his good manors and a positive attitude. Boo thinks he’s a human, this and his general curious nature means he’s often getting himself and those around him into trouble, most of the time he’s blissfully unaware. Boo is alone is the world, and he too longs to be part of someone’s family.
Taj - the mystical peacock - is deeply spiritual and wise, he’s also very nervous and retreats into meditation at the slightest hint of tension. Taj has lived in many of the finest palaces in Asia, he is knowledgeable and holds the key to many secrets. At the beginning of our story Taj lives in a plush hotel grounds in Southern Thailand, this is where he meets Chi and Hanu and sets them on their journey. Taj mysteriously appears throughout the story at different stages and locations along the adventure. Taj is in fact, a mythical Chinese phoenix who only appears when a new Emperor is to rise to the throne.