The Forbidden Kingdom (: Gong Fu Zhi Wang (Mandarin) or Gung Fu Ji Wong (Cantonese) and translated King of Kung Fu (English); Working title: The J & J Project) is a 2008 fantasy wuxia film written by John Fusco and directed by Rob Minkoff, starring Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michael Angarano, Liu Yifei, Collin Chou, and Li Bingbing. Loosely based on the 16th-century Chinese novel Journey to the West, the plot revolves around Jason Tripitikas (Angarano), a modern-day American teenager who is transported back to ancient China after discovering Sun Wukong's Ruyi Jingu Bang. He accompanies Lu Yan (Chan), Silent Monk (Li), and Golden Sparrow (Yifei) on their quest to return the staff to its rightful owner while trying to avoid the minions of the evil Jade Warlord (Chou) and the White-Haired Witch (Bingbing). The action sequences were choreographed by Yuen Woo-ping.

Plot

In South Boston, martial arts film fan Jason Tripitikas dreams of a battle between the Monkey King Sun Wukong and celestial soldiers in the clouds. He later visits a pawn shop in Chinatown to buy wuxia DVDs and discovers a golden staff resembling one that he saw in his dream. On his way home, Jason is harassed by some hooligans, whose leader Lupo attempts to use him to help them rob the shop's owner Hop, who is shot by Lupo. Hop tells Jason to deliver the staff to its rightful owner and Jason flees with it. He is cornered on the rooftop before being pulled off the roof by the staff.