Actress Gong Li in The Monkey King 2. [Photo/Mtime]

Chinese filmmakers are pouring more money and resources into the modern adaptations of Journey to the West, a novel written by Wu Chengen in the 16th century.

On the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year, The Monkey King 2 opened to huge audiences. A third installment, A Chinese Odyssey: Part Three, has been announced as a sequel to the two films starring Stephen Chow and Wu Kong to be released in 2016.

Xuan Zang, which tells the story of Monkey King's master, will also be released in 2016.

Major adaptations include Hark Tsui's untitled film in 2017, which could be the sequel of the 2013 hit film Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons, and the animated film The Monkey King: Havoc in Heaven scheduled in 2018, which will be directed by Tian Xiaopeng, whose Monkey King: Hero is Back was a huge success in 2015.

Up to date, most of the Monkey King movies have made their success in the box office, thanks to increased cinema spending.

Still, some think the new versions of the story risk departing from tradition.

Modern technology allows for the use of special effects in presenting the powerful Monkey King, but filmmakers need to think about how to balance innovation and not challenging people's preconceptions of the Monkey King story, Shi Chuan, a professor from Shanghai Theater Academy, told Shanghai-based Wenhui Daily.

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