Picture: Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld
A new animated series, Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld, starring Beef star Ali Wong as the title character, will premiere on Netflix in December 2024.
Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld is an upcoming Netflix Original animated series created by Echo Wu and animated by Gotham Group. Wu is also the series’s showrunner, director, and co-writer writer, including James Hamilton and Ryan Harer.
The series’ executive producers are Aron Eli Coleite, Antonio Canobbio, Matthew Mahoney, Ben Kalina, Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, and Ali Wong.
Creator Echo Wu had plenty to say to Netflix about the series:
“Sometimes finding your self-identity is coming face-to-face with your own demons,” Wu tells Tudum. That sentiment was the writers room’s north star as they worked on the series. “There are different layers to what that means. [It] rings quite true in Jentry. [She’s] trying to figure out what these powers mean to her. Are they part of her? Are they cursing her? You see this character trying to figure out who she is.”
It’s not just the show’s themes that are rooted in reality, but the animation itself strives to immerse audiences in a world that’s largely like ours — y’know, aside from the ghosts and mythical creatures. “I wanted this show to feel super grounded,” Wu says. “I think it’s refreshing in animation when you have a series that isn’t about this magical realm. I wanted it to feel genuine and the characters to be in our world.”
Wu’s commitment to authentically portraying this time in a young woman’s life also extended to how the show approached Jentry’s highly coveted powers. “If a teenager had superpowers, I don’t think she would take it very well. I think she would actually hide it. She would think it’s social suicide to have powers in a time of your life where you’re trying to fit in and be cool. It was an interesting dynamic to play with.”
When will Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld be on Netflix?
Thanks to the release of the official teaser trailer, Netflix has confirmed that Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld premieres on December 5th, 2024.
What is the plot of Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld?
Netflix has provided a synopsis for Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld:
“Jentry Chau, a Chinese-American teen living in a small Texas town, who finds out a demon king is hunting her for the supernatural powers she’s been working her whole life to repress. With the help of her weapons expert great-aunt and a millennia-old jiangshi (Chinese hopping vampire), Jentry must now fight an entire underworld’s worth of monsters while balancing the horrors of high school.”
Picture: Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld – Netflix
Who is the cast of Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld?
Ali Wong will play Jentry Chau. Stand-up comedian and actress Wong has starred in several projects for Netflix, including multiple stand-up specials, the rom-com Always Be My Maybe, and the award-winning series Beef.
Picture: Ali Wong in Beef – Netflix
Lori Tan Chinn plays Jentry’s aunt, Gugu. The actress will be familiar with fans of Orange Is the New Black, where she played Mei Chang. She also starred in Disney’s Turning Red and as Grandma in Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens.
Picture: Lori Tan Chinn in Orange Is the New Black – Netflix
Bowen Yang plays Ed, Jentry’s sidekick. For Netflix Yang played the role of The Dragon King in The Monkey King, and a voice Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. He recently starred in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Wicked, where he played the role of Pfannee.
Picture: Bowen Yang (left) is the voice of The Dragon King in The Monkey King (right) – Netflix
The cast also includes Lucy Liu, Jimmy O. Yang, Sheng Wang, A.J. Beckles and Woosung Kim.
What is the episode count?
It has been confirmed there will be a total of 13 episodes.
Will you be watching Jentry Chau vs. The Underworld on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!
