An epic quest on screen is set to become an even more epic milestone for Asians in Hollywood.
Led by an up-and-coming Asian cast, Abominable — to be released on September 27 in the U.S. — will become the first global animated film to feature a modern day Chinese family.
In this new collaboration between DreamWorks Animation and China’s Pearl Studio, the movie is a spectacular animated adventure that takes the audience on a beautiful journey, from the city of Shanghai to the Himalayan mountains.
Behind the scenes, some of the executives involved include Pearl’s Chief Creative Officer, Peilin Chou — who is the only C-Suite Asian female executive at a Hollywood Studio — and Universal’s president, Abhijay Prakash.
When a mischievous group of friends encounter a young Yeti, they embark upon a quest to reunite the magical creature with his family at the highest point on Earth.
The film follows a clever teen girl, Yi — played by Chloe Bennet, whose father is Chinese — and a Yeti as they travel through dimensions and rove the Himalayas in hopes of reuniting the creature with his family.
They are accompanied by Yi’s cousins, Jin (Tenzing Norgay Trainor) and Peng (Albert Tsai), as they make it their goal to get the Yeti back home, while trying to avoid being caught by ruthless militiamen, led by wealthy collector Burnish and zoologist, Dr. Zara.
The trailer opens up with a glimpse at Yi and her relationship with her overprotective Nai Nai and Mother as she expresses her desire to travel the world, while also dealing with some profound personal loss. That’s when she discovers the Yeti.
Written by Jill Culton (Monsters, Inc.) and co-directed by Culton and Todd Wilderman, Abominable is a beloved family adventure with characters also voiced by Golden Globe Winner Sarah Paulson and Eddie Izzard.
In a significant connection with this film, Trainor’s grandfather, Tenzing Norgay, is a Nepali-Indian Sherpa mountaineer and was one of the first men to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
