Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior
Encyclopedia
Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior is a 2006 Disney Channel Original Movie starring Brenda Song
and Shin Koyamada
. Koyamada plays a Chinese monk who visits the title character, an American teenager played by Song, claiming Wu is the reincarnation of a powerful female warrior and the only person who can prevent an ancient evil spirit from destroying the world.
This film had more than 5.7 million viewers on the night of its premiere making Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior the fifth highest viewed DCOM. It also received the highest rating in the history of Disney Channel Japan
. The film also broke records in the United Kingdom and Europe making Disney Channel
the highest rated kids channel in Europe.
The film was shot almost entirely in Auckland
, New Zealand
. Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior is the second DCOM to be added in iTunes
. Disney released several products based on the movie to promote the film.
plot with a Disney twist. Gary Marsh
called the film "Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon".
Wendy Wu (Brenda Song
) is an average, popular American teenager whose life is turned upside down by a visit from a young Buddhist monk Shen (Shin Koyamada
). Shen claims Wendy is the reincarnation of an all-powerful almighty female warrior and the only one who can prevent an ancient evil spirit from destroying the world. Shen begs Wendy to wear an incredibly strong and powerful amulet that will protect her from evil until he can fully train her in martial arts
.
Appalled by Shen's obvious lack of fashion sense - he usually wears what looks like a bath robe - Wendy is too busy campaigning for Homecoming Queen against her school arch rival, Jessica Dawson, to be bothered with rescuing civilization. Wendy's traditional grandmother knows that Shen is speaking the truth; her mother (Wendy's great-grandmother) was the previous Yin Warrior who ninety years earlier defeated Yan-Lo in China. However, the others in Wendy's family have lost touch with their Chinese heritage. Shen's discussion of Chinese culture inspire Wendy's mother, a researcher at Fair Springs National History Museum, and Shen's mooncake
s do the same for Wendy's father. However, faced with the choice between fighting evil and going shopping, Wendy is off to the mall in a heartbeat with her best friends Tory and Lisa.
Yan-Lo soon materializes and sets out to destroy Wendy before she can attain her full Yin Warrior powers and abilities. In quick succession, the dark spirit possesses a security guard at the museum, Wendy's brother, her principal, her dog, her teachers, her best friend Tory and even (as if Wendy didn't think she was evil enough) Jessica Dawson. Wendy breaks up with her boyfriend, Austin after noticing how much of a jerk he is and starts to bond more with Shen. With Shen's help, her teachers are transformed into the souls of the Five Animals of Chinese martial arts
to help teach Wendy. Mr. Medina becomes the Tiger, Coach Gibbs becomes the Snake
, Mr. Tobias becomes the Crane, Mr. Garibay becomes the Leopard
, and Shen himself becomes the Dragon
. The martial arts training unleashes Wendy's inner heroine for a final showdown with Yan-Lo during Homecoming.
In the last scene, Jessica thanks Wendy for lending her the Homecoming crown and the Queen status, opposing her usual hostile approach towards Wendy and the conflict between the two is apparently put to rest. Yan Lo then returns, choosing to this time appear in person, and the battle continues. Shen begins to sacrifice himself, his destiny, but Wendy saves him by changing his destiny. Wendy and Shen both kick Yan Lo together, and Yan Lo is destroyed forever. The monks tell Shen this is his last life, and the monks leave. At the end, Wendy and Shen leave to get cappucinos and chocolate that Shen said he loves earlier in the movie, hinting that they might begin dating.
on June 16, 2006, and included a telecast hosted by Brenda Song
and the movie's cast. The movie premiered on Toon Disney
on May 12, 2008. The film aired on ABC Family
on June 20, 2006 and was the first DCOM to air on that channel.
On Saturday, August 18, Disney Channel
aired "Wendy Wu: Homecoming Chat", in which the stars of the movie answered questions posed by fans.
Advertising used the taglines "She's pretty... she's pretty tough"; "Part Teenager. Part Warrior. All Hero."; and "Homecoming Warrior: Queen."
Disney Channel On Demand debuted the movie in January 2007.
The "Kick'in" version of the film first aired on February 19, 2007 in United States and on April 14, 2008 in Canada, in which the cast had a chat and a did you know section. The version also included 5 never before seen scenes and extended endings.
The "Remixed" version aired on September 8, 2007, in which the entire cast answered questions and taught the viewers easy kung-fu moves.
The "Pop-Up" version of the film aired on November 23, 2007, in which random movie trivia appeared throughout the film in boxes at the bottom of the screen.
The "What's What" version of the film aired on March 7, 2008 at Disney Channel Asia, in which random movie trivia appeared throughout the film in boxes at the bottom of the screen, like the Pop-Up version.
The movie premiered on May 2009 on Disney Channel Latin America
.
Wendy Wu jumped over year-ago time period numbers, delivering massive triple-digit gains in Total Viewers (178%, 5,649,000 vs. 2,050,000), Kids 6-11 (132%, 8.8/2,129,000 vs. 3.8/933,000) and Tweens 9-14 (187%, 8.6/2,120,000 vs. 3.0/731,000).
In October 2007, Variety
reported a sequel to Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior; filming had been planned to start in early 2008.
, New Zealand
to accommodate action unit director Koichi Sakamoto
who also choreographs Power Rangers
in Auckland, though some scenes were filmed in Disney Studios
, USA. It took 24 days to shoot the movie in New Zealand according to Brenda Song
. The cast then promoted the movie and the trailer to Disney Channel fans. The sequel is set to be shot in New Zealand. Disney promoted the movie in various countries including Malaysia, Japan
and Australia
. Although the movie was set in California it was shot on location in New Zealand with parts of it shot at an Auckland High School Long Bay College. Many drama students from Long Bay College were used as extras, and can be seen chiefly in the school scenes.
. Song trained for more than 2 weeks, 16 hours each day. Although Song had stunt doubles for some scenes, she did most of her own stunt work for the film with guidance from Koichi Sakamoto
, executive producer for the Power Rangers
series. Song was inspired to endure the stunt training by the way her mother dealt with breast cancer
in 2005.
Several actors from this movie have been in the Power Rangers
series. Sally Martin
and Anna Hutchison
both portrayed actual Rangers: Martin was the Blue Ranger (also named Tori) in 2003's Ninja Storm
, and Hutchison was the Yellow Ranger in 2008's Jungle Fury
. Additional actors in this film that appeared in Power Rangers include James Gaylyn
(Ninja Storm
, Dino Thunder
, S.P.D
, Operation Overdrive
, and RPM
), Geoff Dolan
(Mystic Force
), Sally Stockwell (Mystic Force
), and Shin Koyamada
(Wild Force
).
This film contains so many martial-arts sequences that Disney had to rate it TV-PG. Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior is the sixth DCOM to receive a TV-PG rating; before it were Tiger Cruise
, Don't Look Under the Bed
, Halloweentown
, Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge
, and Twitches.
Song commuted during film breaks to film the second season of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.
, California
. The evil spirit Yan Lo is named after Yama
rāja, the lord of death in Buddhist and Hindu philosophy. The name Yan Lo is a shortened Chinese transliteration of Yamarāja's name.
In one scene a mural, with the letters "LBC" on it, can be seen in the background. This is an Acronym for "Long Bay College".
on October 24, 2006. Entitled Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior:Kickin Edition which features a
It is the third DCOM on DVD to be certified Platinum
in DVD sales; the first is The Cheetah Girls
. The Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior sold more than 13,933 in DVD on amazon.com
making the DVD the #14 most popular Kids DVD ever sold on Amazon.com
. Despite being filmed in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the original and Kickin Edition DVD releases featured a 1.33:1 "full screen" version (though not pan and scan as the camera stays directly in the center of the image), the format of the film as shown on the Disney Channel.
and Disney released necklaces and hairbrushes on the face of Wendy Wu and Shen. They later released a full line of accessories. Postcards and coloring books were also released. Brenda Song and Shin Koyamada got the opportunity to design some items in the line. A calendar for the movie was released in 2006 and 2007.
Asian toy distributors teamed with Disney to release a line of Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior dolls exclusively released only in Malaysia, Japan
and South America
.
Most of the merchandise lines are mainly available in Asian retailers in Asia though some postcards and coloring booklets are available in the USA and in Europe. The merchandise depended on the film's popularity in states. A video game was also released in various countries.
In Japan, Bandai
(The movie's sponsor in Japan) made Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior toys, with a Gashapon
series released on the day of the DCOM's release.
published Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior: the Junior Novel, the novelization of the successful film. This novel hit number one on The New York Times
best-selling list and remained on the list for several weeks. As of August 2007, the novel has sold more than 3 million copies, with 1 million copies of the novel's follow-up, Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior 2: the Junior Novel, being shipped to American retailers.
Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior Kick-in Challenge is a video game in which Wendy Wu travels across America in a competition hoping to win the "Homecoming Queen" title with the help of Shen and the others. The release date was originally set for September 14, 2007 for the Nintendo DS
, Wii
, and PlayStation 2
. The release date was later delayed to November 17, 2007.
created a small parody of the movie, the plot was the same though the channel joked about the monsters and villains in the movie.
MADtv
had a small parody about Wendy Wu and Shen losing their virginity and having to lose their supernatural powers and Yan Low attends to reappear in the scene battling Wendy and Shen.
Also TV ONE in New Zealand lanched a reality show for the Next Homecoming Queen which has some references to the movie and to the cast. In a Halloween-themed episode of The View, Barbara Walters
referenced to Yan Low and Wendy Wu.
In Costa Rica
, Disney created a search for Wendy Wu and Shen for a small stage production airing on Disney Channel
. The production did not include stunt doubles or moves since the actors were not trained that professionally.
Song and Koyamada attended the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade
in Disneyland as Wendy Wu and Shen doing a small sketch and battle scene. Song was one of the co-hosts in the parade before her appearance. The April 13, 2008 comic of comic series, Marvin featured Brenda Song
in kid form promoting a fictional Dizney Preshcool Karate.
Brenda Song
Brenda Song is an American actress, film producer, and model. Song started in show business as a child fashion model. Her early television work included roles in the shows Fudge and 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd...
and Shin Koyamada
Shin Koyamada
is a film actor, producer, philanthropist and martial artist.Koyamada co-starred as “Nobutada” opposite Tom Cruise in the Warner Bros. action epic film The Last Samurai , with a worldwide box office of $456 million. Koyamada also starred in the action original movie Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior...
. Koyamada plays a Chinese monk who visits the title character, an American teenager played by Song, claiming Wu is the reincarnation of a powerful female warrior and the only person who can prevent an ancient evil spirit from destroying the world.
This film had more than 5.7 million viewers on the night of its premiere making Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior the fifth highest viewed DCOM. It also received the highest rating in the history of Disney Channel Japan
Disney Channel Japan
For the Disney Channel in other countries, see Disney Channel . For the original Disney Channel, see Disney Channel.Disney Channel Japan is a television channel that is broadcast in Japan.-The Current Shows:* JONAS...
. The film also broke records in the United Kingdom and Europe making Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
the highest rated kids channel in Europe.
The film was shot almost entirely in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior is the second DCOM to be added in iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. Disney released several products based on the movie to promote the film.
Plot
The plot was described by the author and numerous critics as a teen installment to a Jackie ChanJackie Chan
Jackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
plot with a Disney twist. Gary Marsh
Gary Marsh
Gary Marsh is President and Chief Creative Officer for Disney Channels Worldwide, where he develops and produces Disney Channel Original Series, Disney Channel Original Movies and Disney Junior Series . He also oversees talent and casting operations for Disney Channel. Marsh joined Disney Channel...
called the film "Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon".
Wendy Wu (Brenda Song
Brenda Song
Brenda Song is an American actress, film producer, and model. Song started in show business as a child fashion model. Her early television work included roles in the shows Fudge and 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd...
) is an average, popular American teenager whose life is turned upside down by a visit from a young Buddhist monk Shen (Shin Koyamada
Shin Koyamada
is a film actor, producer, philanthropist and martial artist.Koyamada co-starred as “Nobutada” opposite Tom Cruise in the Warner Bros. action epic film The Last Samurai , with a worldwide box office of $456 million. Koyamada also starred in the action original movie Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior...
). Shen claims Wendy is the reincarnation of an all-powerful almighty female warrior and the only one who can prevent an ancient evil spirit from destroying the world. Shen begs Wendy to wear an incredibly strong and powerful amulet that will protect her from evil until he can fully train her in martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
.
Appalled by Shen's obvious lack of fashion sense - he usually wears what looks like a bath robe - Wendy is too busy campaigning for Homecoming Queen against her school arch rival, Jessica Dawson, to be bothered with rescuing civilization. Wendy's traditional grandmother knows that Shen is speaking the truth; her mother (Wendy's great-grandmother) was the previous Yin Warrior who ninety years earlier defeated Yan-Lo in China. However, the others in Wendy's family have lost touch with their Chinese heritage. Shen's discussion of Chinese culture inspire Wendy's mother, a researcher at Fair Springs National History Museum, and Shen's mooncake
Mooncake
Mooncake is a Chinese bakery product traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival / Zhongqiu Festival. The festival is for lunar worship and moon watching; mooncakes are regarded as an indispensable delicacy on this occasion. Mooncakes are offered between friends or on family gatherings...
s do the same for Wendy's father. However, faced with the choice between fighting evil and going shopping, Wendy is off to the mall in a heartbeat with her best friends Tory and Lisa.
Yan-Lo soon materializes and sets out to destroy Wendy before she can attain her full Yin Warrior powers and abilities. In quick succession, the dark spirit possesses a security guard at the museum, Wendy's brother, her principal, her dog, her teachers, her best friend Tory and even (as if Wendy didn't think she was evil enough) Jessica Dawson. Wendy breaks up with her boyfriend, Austin after noticing how much of a jerk he is and starts to bond more with Shen. With Shen's help, her teachers are transformed into the souls of the Five Animals of Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts
Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...
to help teach Wendy. Mr. Medina becomes the Tiger, Coach Gibbs becomes the Snake
Snake Kung Fu
There are several Chinese martial arts known as Snake Boxing or Fanged Snake Style which imitate the movements of snakes. It is a style of Shaolin Boxing. Proponents claim that adopting the fluidity of snakes allows them to entwine with their opponents in defense and strike them from angles they...
, Mr. Tobias becomes the Crane, Mr. Garibay becomes the Leopard
Leopard Kung Fu
Leopard Kung fu is style of Kung fu and is one of the Five Animal styles.It was supposedly created by Jue Yuan with help from Bai Yufeng and Li Sou. The emphasis of leopard is speed and angular attack. The leopard does not overwhelm or rely on strength, as does the tiger, but instead relies on...
, and Shen himself becomes the Dragon
Dragon Kung Fu
The movements of the Southern Dragon style of Shaolin Boxing are based on the mythical Chinese dragon. The Dragon style is an imitative-style that was developed based on the imagined characteristics of the mythical Chinese dragon....
. The martial arts training unleashes Wendy's inner heroine for a final showdown with Yan-Lo during Homecoming.
In the last scene, Jessica thanks Wendy for lending her the Homecoming crown and the Queen status, opposing her usual hostile approach towards Wendy and the conflict between the two is apparently put to rest. Yan Lo then returns, choosing to this time appear in person, and the battle continues. Shen begins to sacrifice himself, his destiny, but Wendy saves him by changing his destiny. Wendy and Shen both kick Yan Lo together, and Yan Lo is destroyed forever. The monks tell Shen this is his last life, and the monks leave. At the end, Wendy and Shen leave to get cappucinos and chocolate that Shen said he loves earlier in the movie, hinting that they might begin dating.
Cast
- Brenda SongBrenda SongBrenda Song is an American actress, film producer, and model. Song started in show business as a child fashion model. Her early television work included roles in the shows Fudge and 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd...
as Wendy Wu - Shin KoyamadaShin Koyamadais a film actor, producer, philanthropist and martial artist.Koyamada co-starred as “Nobutada” opposite Tom Cruise in the Warner Bros. action epic film The Last Samurai , with a worldwide box office of $456 million. Koyamada also starred in the action original movie Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior...
as Shen - Ellen Woglom as Jessica Dawson (Wendy's enemy)
- Tsai ChinTsai Chin (actress)Tsai Chin , also known as Irene Chow, is a Chinese-born actress living in England.-Early life, family & education:Chin was born to Peking Opera actor Zhou Xinfang in 1936. She spent her early life in Shanghai. She had two short marriages which both ended in divorce. Her brother is Michael...
as Grandma Wu - Justin Chon as Peter Wu (Wendy's brother)
- Michael DavidMichael DavidMichael David, born Michael David Singer; born September 22, 1954, is an American-born American painter. Born in Reno, Nevada, David's family relocated to Brooklyn, New York, where he was raised. He attended SUNY Fredonia for one year and in 1976 received a B.F.A. from Parson's School of Design...
Cheng as Kenny Wu (Wendy's father) - Susan Chuang as Nina Wu (Wendy's mother)
- Paul WillisPaul WillisPaul Willis may refer to:* Paul Willis , American child actor of the silent film era* Paul Willis , British cultural theorist* Paul Willis , Scottish football player...
as Principal Frank Nunan - James GaylynJames GaylynJames Gaylyn is an American-born screen actor and voice actor.-Biography:Gaylyn is probably best known as the voice of Zeltrax in Power Rangers: Dino Thunder. He is currently based in New Zealand...
as Mr. Medina (Wendy's history teacher) - Sally Stockwell as Coach Gibbs (Wendy's soccer coach)
- Tomothy Raby as Mr. Tobias (another teacher)
- Michael Saccente as Mr. Garibay (another teacher)
- Andy Fischer-Price as Austin (Wendy's boyfriend)
- Sally MartinSally MartinSally Erana Martin is an actress from New Zealand.She has appeared in a range of television series, including The Strip, Shortland Street and in Power Rangers: Ninja Storm as Tori Hanson/the Blue Wind Ninja Ranger....
as Tory Hanson(Wendy's friend) - Anna HutchisonAnna HutchisonAnna Hutchison is a New Zealand actress. She is known for her roles on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street and American series Power Rangers: Jungle Fury...
as Lisa (Wendy's other friend) - Heff DelFino as pizza delivery guy
- Geoff DolanGeoff DolanGeoff Dolan is a New Zealand actor, singer and corporate entertainer. He resides in Auckland, New Zealand....
as museum security guard
Release
The premiere of Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior aired at 8 p.m. Eastern TimeEastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
on June 16, 2006, and included a telecast hosted by Brenda Song
Brenda Song
Brenda Song is an American actress, film producer, and model. Song started in show business as a child fashion model. Her early television work included roles in the shows Fudge and 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd...
and the movie's cast. The movie premiered on Toon Disney
Toon Disney
Toon Disney was an American cable television channel owned by The Walt Disney Company. A spinoff of Disney Channel, it mostly aired children's animated series and some live action programming. Its format had similarities to those of Cartoon Network and Nicktoons...
on May 12, 2008. The film aired on ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
on June 20, 2006 and was the first DCOM to air on that channel.
On Saturday, August 18, Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
aired "Wendy Wu: Homecoming Chat", in which the stars of the movie answered questions posed by fans.
Advertising used the taglines "She's pretty... she's pretty tough"; "Part Teenager. Part Warrior. All Hero."; and "Homecoming Warrior: Queen."
Disney Channel On Demand debuted the movie in January 2007.
The "Kick'in" version of the film first aired on February 19, 2007 in United States and on April 14, 2008 in Canada, in which the cast had a chat and a did you know section. The version also included 5 never before seen scenes and extended endings.
The "Remixed" version aired on September 8, 2007, in which the entire cast answered questions and taught the viewers easy kung-fu moves.
The "Pop-Up" version of the film aired on November 23, 2007, in which random movie trivia appeared throughout the film in boxes at the bottom of the screen.
The "What's What" version of the film aired on March 7, 2008 at Disney Channel Asia, in which random movie trivia appeared throughout the film in boxes at the bottom of the screen, like the Pop-Up version.
The movie premiered on May 2009 on Disney Channel Latin America
Disney Channel Latin America
Disney Channel Latin America is an cable television channel and is an edition of The Walt Disney Company-owned Disney Channel, broadcasting to Latin America and the Caribbean. It is broadcast in five feeds, North Zone, Center Zone, South Zone,and the Pacific Zone...
.
Ratings
Wendy Wu had more than 5.7 million viewers on the night of its premiere, making it currently the fifth highest viewed DCOM. The movie was originally set to air on June 2, 2006 but got bumped by Disney Channel because they had trouble putting up the movie's official web site. It crushed the basic cable competition, ranking a dominant No. 1 in the time period with Kids 6-11 (2.1 million/9.5 rating) and Adolescents 9-14 (2.1 million/8.6 rating). The movie also grew by 1.2 million viewers start-to-finish, with 6.0 million Total Viewers tuning in for the movie's final quarter-hour (4.8 million to 6.0 million).Wendy Wu jumped over year-ago time period numbers, delivering massive triple-digit gains in Total Viewers (178%, 5,649,000 vs. 2,050,000), Kids 6-11 (132%, 8.8/2,129,000 vs. 3.8/933,000) and Tweens 9-14 (187%, 8.6/2,120,000 vs. 3.0/731,000).
Reception
UltimateDisney.com said that the movie relies on stereotypes, but Song shined as the title character. The San Francisco Asian American Film Festival considered the character a strong protagonist and good role model. In an interview with Asiance magazine, Song described how she identified with the character struggling to keep her heritage. While commending Disney for the strong Asian cast, a BellaOnline review noted that it is rare to see a female martial arts star with a black belt.In October 2007, Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
reported a sequel to Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior; filming had been planned to start in early 2008.
Filming locations
The movie was filmed in AucklandAuckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
to accommodate action unit director Koichi Sakamoto
Koichi Sakamoto
is a Japanese-born stunt actor, and producer for films and television. He is best known for his work as executive producer, as well as fight coordinator and frequent director, for the long running Power Rangers franchise.-Early career:...
who also choreographs Power Rangers
Power Rangers
Power Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...
in Auckland, though some scenes were filmed in Disney Studios
Walt Disney Studios (Burbank)
The Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California, United States, serve as the international headquarters for media conglomerate The Walt Disney Company. The Walt Disney Studio's house offices for each of the company's divisions along with creative spaces designed for movie production. The Walt Disney...
, USA. It took 24 days to shoot the movie in New Zealand according to Brenda Song
Brenda Song
Brenda Song is an American actress, film producer, and model. Song started in show business as a child fashion model. Her early television work included roles in the shows Fudge and 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd...
. The cast then promoted the movie and the trailer to Disney Channel fans. The sequel is set to be shot in New Zealand. Disney promoted the movie in various countries including Malaysia, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Although the movie was set in California it was shot on location in New Zealand with parts of it shot at an Auckland High School Long Bay College. Many drama students from Long Bay College were used as extras, and can be seen chiefly in the school scenes.
Casting
The film was shot on a budget of $5 millionMillion
One million or one thousand thousand, is the natural number following 999,999 and preceding 1,000,001. The word is derived from the early Italian millione , from mille, "thousand", plus the augmentative suffix -one.In scientific notation, it is written as or just 106...
. Song trained for more than 2 weeks, 16 hours each day. Although Song had stunt doubles for some scenes, she did most of her own stunt work for the film with guidance from Koichi Sakamoto
Koichi Sakamoto
is a Japanese-born stunt actor, and producer for films and television. He is best known for his work as executive producer, as well as fight coordinator and frequent director, for the long running Power Rangers franchise.-Early career:...
, executive producer for the Power Rangers
Power Rangers
Power Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...
series. Song was inspired to endure the stunt training by the way her mother dealt with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
in 2005.
Several actors from this movie have been in the Power Rangers
Power Rangers
Power Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...
series. Sally Martin
Sally Martin
Sally Erana Martin is an actress from New Zealand.She has appeared in a range of television series, including The Strip, Shortland Street and in Power Rangers: Ninja Storm as Tori Hanson/the Blue Wind Ninja Ranger....
and Anna Hutchison
Anna Hutchison
Anna Hutchison is a New Zealand actress. She is known for her roles on the New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street and American series Power Rangers: Jungle Fury...
both portrayed actual Rangers: Martin was the Blue Ranger (also named Tori) in 2003's Ninja Storm
Power Rangers: Ninja Storm
Power Rangers Ninja Storm is an incarnation of the Power Rangers franchise, based on the Super Sentai series Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger. This is the first season to be filmed in New Zealand and also the second season to be under the BVS copyright...
, and Hutchison was the Yellow Ranger in 2008's Jungle Fury
Power Rangers: Jungle Fury
Power Rangers Jungle Fury is the sixteenth installment in the American children's television series Power Rangers. Toy merchandising in the U.S. began in November 2007 and the show premiered on February 18, 2008, and uses footage from Juken Sentai Gekiranger, the thirty-first Japanese Super Sentai...
. Additional actors in this film that appeared in Power Rangers include James Gaylyn
James Gaylyn
James Gaylyn is an American-born screen actor and voice actor.-Biography:Gaylyn is probably best known as the voice of Zeltrax in Power Rangers: Dino Thunder. He is currently based in New Zealand...
(Ninja Storm
Power Rangers: Ninja Storm
Power Rangers Ninja Storm is an incarnation of the Power Rangers franchise, based on the Super Sentai series Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger. This is the first season to be filmed in New Zealand and also the second season to be under the BVS copyright...
, Dino Thunder
Power Rangers: Dino Thunder
Power Rangers Dino Thunder is an American children's television series, an incarnation of the Power Rangers franchise. As with all Power Rangers series, it was adapted from a series from the long running, Japanese Super Sentai franchise, in this case the twenty-seventh, Bakuryū Sentai Abaranger...
, S.P.D
Power Rangers: S.P.D.
Power Rangers S.P.D. is the 2005 incarnation of the Power Rangers television series, adapted from the Super Sentai series Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger. It is also the title for the Korean dub of Dekaranger in South Korea, whose logo is similar to the American series. S.P.D...
, Operation Overdrive
Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive
Power Rangers Operation Overdrive is an American television program, the fifteenth installment in the Power Rangers franchise based on the Super Sentai series GoGo Sentai Boukenger, which is also the thirtieth entry and anniversary of that franchise. It premiered on February 26, 2007...
, and RPM
Power Rangers: RPM
Power Rangers RPM is the seventeenth installment in the American children's television series Power Rangers. As with all previous Power Rangers series, RPM uses footage, costumes, and other props from the Super Sentai Series, in this case, from Engine Sentai Go-onger...
), Geoff Dolan
Geoff Dolan
Geoff Dolan is a New Zealand actor, singer and corporate entertainer. He resides in Auckland, New Zealand....
(Mystic Force
Power Rangers: Mystic Force
Power Rangers Mystic Force is an American television series, and is part of the Power Rangers franchise. As with all Power Rangers series, the show is adapted from a series in the long-running Japanese tokusatsu franchise, Super Sentai...
), Sally Stockwell (Mystic Force
Power Rangers: Mystic Force
Power Rangers Mystic Force is an American television series, and is part of the Power Rangers franchise. As with all Power Rangers series, the show is adapted from a series in the long-running Japanese tokusatsu franchise, Super Sentai...
), and Shin Koyamada
Shin Koyamada
is a film actor, producer, philanthropist and martial artist.Koyamada co-starred as “Nobutada” opposite Tom Cruise in the Warner Bros. action epic film The Last Samurai , with a worldwide box office of $456 million. Koyamada also starred in the action original movie Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior...
(Wild Force
Power Rangers: Wild Force
Power Rangers Wild Force is the tenth anniversary of the Power Rangers franchise, based on the Super Sentai series Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger, which itself was the 25th anniversary of Super Sentai.Power Rangers Wild Force takes place in 2002...
).
This film contains so many martial-arts sequences that Disney had to rate it TV-PG. Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior is the sixth DCOM to receive a TV-PG rating; before it were Tiger Cruise
Tiger Cruise
Tiger Cruise is the 54th Disney Channel Original Movie. It stars Hayden Panettiere, Bill Pullman and Jansen Panettiere, Hayden's real-life younger brother...
, Don't Look Under the Bed
Don't Look Under the Bed
Don't Look Under The Bed is a 1999 Disney Channel Original Movie. It is also the Disney Channel's second and final attempt at a horror film released by Disney...
, Halloweentown
Halloweentown (film)
Halloweentown is a 1998 Disney Channel Original Movie released in October 1998 to acknowledge the holiday of Halloween.-Plot:The film begins with Marnie Piper and her mother, Gwen, arguing over why she and her younger siblings Dylan and Sophie can never go out for Halloween and wanting to go to a...
, Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge
Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge
Halloweentown II: Kalabar's Revenge is a 2001 Disney Channel Original Movie released for the holiday of Halloween. This is the second in the Halloweentown series.-Plot:...
, and Twitches.
Song commuted during film breaks to film the second season of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.
Setting
The movie takes place in the fictional city of Fair Springs, California. According to a local weather report that Wendy sees on TV, Fair Springs is located around the actual city of ModestoModesto, California
Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The evil spirit Yan Lo is named after Yama
Yama
Yama , also known as Yamarāja in India and Nepal, Shinje in Tibet, Yanluowang or simply Yan in China, Yeomla Daewang in South Korea and Enma Dai-Ō in Japan, is the lord of death, in Hinduism and then adopted into Buddhism and then further into Chinese mythology and Japanese mythology. First...
rāja, the lord of death in Buddhist and Hindu philosophy. The name Yan Lo is a shortened Chinese transliteration of Yamarāja's name.
In one scene a mural, with the letters "LBC" on it, can be seen in the background. This is an Acronym for "Long Bay College".
Home media
Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior was released on DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
on October 24, 2006. Entitled Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior:Kickin Edition which features a
- Never-Before-Seen Extended Ending
- Homecoming Warrior In Training—An Inside Look At The Making Of Wendy Wu,
- Cast Connections With Brenda SongBrenda SongBrenda Song is an American actress, film producer, and model. Song started in show business as a child fashion model. Her early television work included roles in the shows Fudge and 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd...
-- Brenda Talks About Her Disney Family Tree - Bonus Episode Of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody featuring Brenda SongBrenda SongBrenda Song is an American actress, film producer, and model. Song started in show business as a child fashion model. Her early television work included roles in the shows Fudge and 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd...
It is the third DCOM on DVD to be certified Platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
in DVD sales; the first is The Cheetah Girls
The Cheetah Girls (film)
The Cheetah Girls is a 2003 musical Disney Channel Original Movie, the first for Disney Channel, based on a bestselling series of young adult books of the same name by Deborah Gregory...
. The Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior sold more than 13,933 in DVD on amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
making the DVD the #14 most popular Kids DVD ever sold on Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
. Despite being filmed in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the original and Kickin Edition DVD releases featured a 1.33:1 "full screen" version (though not pan and scan as the camera stays directly in the center of the image), the format of the film as shown on the Disney Channel.
Soundtrack
- Brenda Song recorded a song for Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior called "I'm Not That GirlI'm Not that Girl (song)"I'm Not that Girl" is a song from the musical Wicked, based on the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, composed by Stephen Schwartz, originally recorded by Idina Menzel on November 10, 2003, and released on December 16, 2003...
" written by Eddie GalanEddie GalanEddie Galan is a Los Angeles born singer/musician, songwriter and record producer, who has worked on albums that have accumulated over 18 million in sales worldwide, garnered him 5 #1 records as a writer/producer and 4 #1 records as a publisher...
. The song aired on Radio DisneyRadio DisneyRadio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
. The track was released in 2007 under Walt Disney RecordsWalt Disney RecordsWalt Disney Records is a family music record label owned by the Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Records was formed in 1956 as Disneyland Records. Before that time, Disney recordings were licensed out to a variety of other labels such as . It was Walt Disney’s brother Roy O...
label and peaked at number 2 in the American Pop Airplay. The song was not released separately on iTunesITunesiTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
instead Disney released the track with Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior. The song "I'm Not That Girl" was a bonus track on the album, Radio Disney Jams, Vol. 10Radio Disney Jams, Vol. 10Radio Disney Jams 10 is the tenth album in the Radio Disney Jams series and was released on January 22, 2008. It is a compilation of popular songs played on Radio Disney.- Track listing :* Note: The song "I'm Not That Girl" was used as a bonus track....
. - Go (Jump! Mix)" Performed by Jupiter Rising
- "Will it Go 'Round in Circles? Performed by Orlando BrownOrlando BrownOrlando Brown is an American actor and musician. A child actor, his early roles included 3J in Family Matters, Eddie Thomas in That's So Raven, Tiger in Major Payne, and Nelson in The Jamie Foxx Show. He was also the voice of Sticky Web on the animated TV series The Proud Family...
- "Dance Alone" Performed by Sweet James
- "Keepin It" Performed by Drew Seeley
Awards
Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior won the "Best TV Movie" award at the Nickelodeon Australian Kids' Choice Awards 2006. It also won the Golden Icon Award for "Outstanding Cast Ensemble", the award was presented by The Travolta Family Entertainment. The movie also won the "Best Asian American Cast Ensemble" at the "San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival". The movie was voted number 1 by Asiance magazine for favorite teen movie of the year.Clothing and dolls
In 2006, Claire'sClaire's
Claire's is a retailer of accessories and jewelry to girls and young women. Claire's has over 3,000 locations worldwide: their stores are in 95% of all U.S. shopping malls, and in 33 countries...
and Disney released necklaces and hairbrushes on the face of Wendy Wu and Shen. They later released a full line of accessories. Postcards and coloring books were also released. Brenda Song and Shin Koyamada got the opportunity to design some items in the line. A calendar for the movie was released in 2006 and 2007.
Asian toy distributors teamed with Disney to release a line of Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior dolls exclusively released only in Malaysia, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
Most of the merchandise lines are mainly available in Asian retailers in Asia though some postcards and coloring booklets are available in the USA and in Europe. The merchandise depended on the film's popularity in states. A video game was also released in various countries.
In Japan, Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
(The movie's sponsor in Japan) made Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior toys, with a Gashapon
Gashapon
is a Bandai brand trademark widely used throughout the world for their capsule toys. It is also referred to as ." Both gashapon and gachapon are Japanese onomatopoeia, made up of two sounds: "gasha" or "gacha" for the turning of a crank on a toy vending machine, and "pon" for the sound of the toy...
series released on the day of the DCOM's release.
Books and video games
In June 2006, Disney PressDisney Press
Disney Press is a department of The Walt Disney Company specifically used to produce books of various genres and for various age groups . Many of the books Disney Press produces are picture books based on Mickey Mouse and friends and other characters from many popular Disney animated features...
published Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior: the Junior Novel, the novelization of the successful film. This novel hit number one on The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
best-selling list and remained on the list for several weeks. As of August 2007, the novel has sold more than 3 million copies, with 1 million copies of the novel's follow-up, Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior 2: the Junior Novel, being shipped to American retailers.
- Novels
- Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior: the Junior Novel (June 30, 2006)
- Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior 2: the Junior Novel (December 2008)
- Series
- Poetry in Motion by Alice Alfonsi (May 12, 2007)
- Wendy to Shen by Helen Perelman (November 17, 2007)
- Yan Low is Back by Catherine Hapka (February 26, 2008)
- Homecoming Dance by Alice Alfonsi (April 28, 2008)
- Comics
- Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior Covert Ops Muses (Xiao Xiao Stick Comic Series)
- Activity books
- Disney's Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior Challenge (January 2007)
- Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior Poster Book (June 2007)
- Wendy Wu: Homecoming Princess Colouring Booklet (June 2007)
- Disney Channel's Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior by Cynthia Stier
- Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior Party Planner (August 2007)
Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior Kick-in Challenge is a video game in which Wendy Wu travels across America in a competition hoping to win the "Homecoming Queen" title with the help of Shen and the others. The release date was originally set for September 14, 2007 for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
, and PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. The release date was later delayed to November 17, 2007.
In popular culture
In Malaysia, TV3TV3 (Malaysia)
Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad or TV3 began broadcasting on 1 June 1984 as Malaysia’s first commercial television station. It is part of Media Prima Berhad group of companies. It now transmits opened broadcasting business private 24-hours a day, 7 days a week since 1 January 2010...
created a small parody of the movie, the plot was the same though the channel joked about the monsters and villains in the movie.
MADtv
MADtv
MADtv is an American sketch comedy television series. It licensed the name and logo of Mad, but otherwise had no connection with the humor magazine outside the animated Spy vs. Spy and Don Martin cartoon shorts and images of Alfred E. Neuman that the show featured during the late 1990s. Its first...
had a small parody about Wendy Wu and Shen losing their virginity and having to lose their supernatural powers and Yan Low attends to reappear in the scene battling Wendy and Shen.
Also TV ONE in New Zealand lanched a reality show for the Next Homecoming Queen which has some references to the movie and to the cast. In a Halloween-themed episode of The View, Barbara Walters
Barbara Walters
Barbara Jill Walters is an American broadcast journalist, author, and television personality. She has hosted morning television shows , the television newsmagazine , former co-anchor of the ABC Evening News, and current contributor to ABC News.Walters was first known as a popular TV morning news...
referenced to Yan Low and Wendy Wu.
In Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, Disney created a search for Wendy Wu and Shen for a small stage production airing on Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
. The production did not include stunt doubles or moves since the actors were not trained that professionally.
Song and Koyamada attended the Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade
Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade
The Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade is an American television special that airs on Christmas Day on the ABC, taped primarily inside the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, approximately one month prior to Christmas Day...
in Disneyland as Wendy Wu and Shen doing a small sketch and battle scene. Song was one of the co-hosts in the parade before her appearance. The April 13, 2008 comic of comic series, Marvin featured Brenda Song
Brenda Song
Brenda Song is an American actress, film producer, and model. Song started in show business as a child fashion model. Her early television work included roles in the shows Fudge and 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd...
in kid form promoting a fictional Dizney Preshcool Karate.