Paramount+ Sets February Release For 'The Tiger’s Apprentice'; Watch Teaser

The animated film ends up only losing a couple of weeks in its move from a theatrical release to streaming-only

Paramount+ has released the teaser trailer for their upcoming animated film The Tiger’s Apprentice, setting it for release on February 2, 2024 in the United States. Dates for other territories were not made available yet but will be soon.

Its final theatrical release date was January 19 before it shifted to a straight-to-Paramount+ release in September. Previously, the film had February 2022, February 10 and December 20, 2023 dates, with those moves being pandemic-induced. Ostensibly, it was replaced by the Mean Girls musical movie, which was scheduled for the Friday before, January 12. Ultimately, the final delay amounts to two weeks but completes the overall to about two years.

Paramount’s synopsis describes The Tiger’s Apprentice as centering on Chinese-American teenager Tom Lee, voiced by Brandon Soo Hoo, who discovers he is the latest in his family to become part of the Guardians, a familial line of magical protectors. Such a life-changing revelation has Tom taking up training with a mythical tiger named Hu, and he must face Loo, an evil force about as powerful as a Guardian seeking to use magic to destroy humanity. Tom’s best chance at victory is to reunite all twelve Zodiac animal warriors while mastering his own powers. The film is based on Laurence Yep’s book of the same name.

The Tiger’s Apprentice also stars Henry Golding as Hu, while Michelle Yeoh voices Loo. The cast also features Saturday Night Live’s Bowen Yang, Lucy Liu, Elemental’s Leah Lewis, as well as Kheng Hua Tan, Deborah S. Craig, Jo Koy, Greta Lee, Diana Lee Inosanto, Poppy Liu, who played Double Dutch on the iCarly revival, and Patrick Gallagher, probably best known as Ken Tanaka from Glee. The film is directed by Raman Hui, whose DreamWorks work was early enough to include the 3D sequences of The Simpsons “Homer3” in “Treehouse of Horror VI”, with the highest point being co-directing Shrek the Third, while having directed many shorts and specials, his last being Puss in Boots: The Three Diablos. The co-directors of this film are Paul Watling, head of story Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and Yong Duk Jhun. The screenplay is by David Magee and Christopher Yost.

The film is produced by Paramount Animation and Jane Startz Productions. It makes Startz herself a producer alongside Sandra Rabins and Bob Persichetti. Maryann Garger, Kane Lee, and Carlos Baena serve as the executive producers.

Sources: CartoonBrew, 1067 WJJY, Deadline (1, 2)