Movies

Henry Golding's tiger roars in exclusive sneak peek at The Tiger’s Apprentice

Michelle Yeoh, Sandra Oh, Lucy Liu, Bowen Yang, and Brandon Soo Hoo also star in the upcoming animated movie.

Published on January 11, 2024 11:00AM EST

Henry Golding is working on his roar.

The Crazy Rich Asians actor is starring in The Tiger’s Apprentice as Hu, the titular feline warrior who trains young Tom Lee (Brandon Soo Hoo) to harness his magical powers in a mystical conflict. EW can reveal seven exclusive images from the animated film, which premieres next month.

Though he briefly voiced a character in an episode of Star Wars: Legends for Disney+, the Paramount+ original movie marks Golding’s first animated feature film. “Henry Golding gave us a great, proud Tiger who can be powerful and stubborn as a teacher, but can also be fun and sympathetic with the apprentice,” director Raman Hui tells EW over email.

The film is based on Laurence Yep’s 2003 children's book of the same name, the first in a trilogy. Tom, a Chinese American teenager, learns he is one of the Guardians, a long line of magical protectors. With help from Golding's Hu, the young man must learn to harness his newfound mystical abilities to take on the villainous Loo (Michelle Yeoh), who is just as powerful as a Guardian but seeks to use her magic to destroy humanity.

Hui explains why he was drawn to the project. “Being Chinese American and having lived in San Francisco for a long time, the story of a Chinese family in San Francisco Chinatown with the magical world of the Zodiacs excited me to be part of this movie," he says.

The film will see Tom Lee and Hu team up to unite the 12 Zodiac animal warriors to defeat Yeoh's Loo. Sandra Oh plays the dragon Mistral, Bowen Yang is Sidney the Rat, Sherry Cola voices Naomi the Monkey, Greta Lee portrays Rabbit, and recent Golden Globe award show host Jo Koy plays Rooster. Lucy Liu voices both Nua Kua and Cynthia, while Kheng Hua Tan plays Mrs. Lee and Leah Lewis plays Rav. Rounding out the animal cast are Deborah S. Craig as Pig, Diana Lee Inosanto as Horse, Patrick Gallagher as Dog, and Poppy Liu as Snake.

Hui also teases the Zodiac warriors’ distinct personalities. “Mistral the Dragon is the insightful and caring big sister to the other Zodiacs," he explains. "Sidney the Rat can always come up with something inappropriate but hilarious to say. Naomi the Monkey is cheerful, energetic, and can perform unbelievable magic. The Rooster is loud and constantly looking for opportunities to be in charge.”