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Tian Zhuangzhuang's
THE WARRIOR
AND THE WOLF to Be Premiered in Toronto
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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August 31, 2009 |
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Top: Joe Odagiri with Maggie Q. |
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Bottom: director Tian Zhuangzhuang. |
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Images: Edko Films, Ogura Jimusyo Co., Perfect World Culture,
MediaCorp Raintree Pictures. |
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Toronto International Film Festival has announced
Chinese Fifth Generation director Tian Zhuangzhuang’s new film
The Warrior and the Wolf
will have its worldwide premiere at the festival next month.
According to the Chinese press, Tian recently turned down invitation
from Venice film festival, in favor of showing it in Toronto.
The story is set in China about 300 BC, just
before the kingdom of Qin made the unification of the nation. In the
wildness north of the Great Wall, a regiment of Qin soldiers
stranded in the Harran village while fighting with the local tribe.
The regiment leader took a widow in as his private capture and then
the widow told him if she spent seven nights with a foreign man,
both of them would turn into wolves…
Japanese actor Joe Odagiri (Plastic City,
Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad) plays Lu Shenkang,
the regiment leader, and Hawaii-born Hong Kong actress Magge Q (Three
Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon, Live Free or Die Hard,
Mission: Impossible III) plays the widow. The cast also
includes Taiwanese singer actor Tou Chung-Hua (Parking,
Lust, Caution, July Rhapsody).
The movie is based on a short story by Japanese
writer Yasushi Inoue (The Dream of Russia, The Silk Road)
and the script is penned by To Chi-long (Jet Li’s Fearless).
The crew also includes costume designer Emi Wada (House of Flying
Daggers, Hero, Ran) and cinematographer Yu Wang (The
Go Master, Tea-Horse Road Series: Delamu).
The film was shot in China’s northwest region of
Xinjiang, which was also featured in Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon.
One of the film’s producers, Bill Kong is the
major backer of many Chinese language films, inducing Ang Lee’s
Couching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Lust, Caution, Zhang
Yimou’s Hero, House of Flying Daggers, Curse of the
Golden Flower, Amazing Tales: Three Guns, as well as Jet
Li’s upcoming non-action film Ocean Paradise.
The project is jointly produced by Edko Films of
Hong Kong, Japan’s Ogura Jimusyo Co., Beijing-based Perfect World
Culture and MediaCorp Raintree Pictures from Singapore.
Graduated from Beijing Film Academy, Tian
Zhuangzhuang’s first independently directed full-length films is
September (1984), telling the story of a young teacher in the
first seventeen years of the People’s Republic, who approaches the
teaching of her students with a humanistic philosophy, an approach
which leads to problems with authorities. Several scenes which
allegedly showing negative portrayal of the state were forcedly
removed by the authority.
His following works On the Hunting Ground
(1985) and The Horse Thief (1986), both features the life of
China’s ethic minorities groups. Both films are warmly received
internationally and Martin Scorsese even picked the latter as his
favorite film of the 1990’s. On the domestic side, they brought Tian
nothing but box-office failures and criticism from the old-mined
officials and filmmakers. Today in China both films are listed among
the best from the 1980s.
In the rest of 1980s, Tian made several films,
which were more box-office appealing and less sensitive on the
politics, Street Players (1987), Rock ‘n’ Roll Kids
(1988), Unforgettable Life (1989) and Li Lianying: The
Imperial Eunuch (1991). Unforgettable Life features the topic of
pregnancy without marriage and was banned until 2005.
His next work, The Blue Kite, completed in
1993, realistically depicts a tragic story of a family’s up and down
in waves of political storms in the 1950s and 1960s. Has never been
approved by the Chinese authority, it was praised at several
international film festivals, including Cannes. Screening at these
festivals were ruled illegal by the Chinese government and as the
consequence, Tian was banned from making movies until 1996.
Away from the director’s seat, Tian worked as a
producer and helped many new generation of directors to get their
career moving forward, including Wang Xiaoshaui, Li Shaohong, Huo
Jianqi and Lu Xuechang.
In 2002, Tian returned to the director’s seat and
did Springtime in a Small Town, a remake of Chinese director
Fei Mu’s Spring in a Small Town (1948). This is a low-budget
simple story with no political agenda. Next, he shot Delamu
(2004), a documentary about an ancient trade route linking Yunnan
and Tibet, as the first installment of the Tea-Horse Road
series. Reportedly due to lack of funding, the rest of the series is
never made. His last film, The Go Master (2006), a biopic of
Chinese weiqi (go) master Wu Qingyuan. Was received well while shown
at several festivals. It has yet to be released in China, mainly due
to its low box-office potential.
Movie stills:
A
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7 out of 11
Men Ready to LET THE BULLETS FLY
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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August 29, 2009 |
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7 cast members attended tonight's Huabiao Award Ceremony. (L to R:
Shao Bing, Ge You, Jiang Wen, ?, Hu Jun, Liao Fan and Zhang Mo.)
(Image: CNSphoto) |
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Two international teaser posters. |
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Image: Bu Yi Le Hu Film Company, Emperor Motion Pictures) |
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We know very little about actor director Jiang Wen's next big one,
Let the Bullets Fly.
Announced in Cannes earlier this year, this movie is tagged "a comic
western legend".
Idea for the movie comes from Ma Shitu's novel Ye Tan Shi Ji
(literally means: The 10 Stories Told at Night). The story will be
loosely based on one of the story, set in China in early 20th
Century, when the warlords ruled.
Reportedly, the majority of the cast will be 11 guys. They are:
Jiang Wen,
Ge You, Liao Fan, Shao Bing, Zhang Mo, Chen Kun. The only
female cast member is Zhou Yun, Jiang's wife. According to an ad
calling for a large number of extras, Chow Yun-Fat is also on the
cast list.
Cast members are now
taking horse riding lessons in some
mountain area outside of Beijing.
A near 10 kilometer long train track
has been built nearby, for filming of a speeding trading.
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Opening This
Week: August 22 - 28, 2009
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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August 28, 2009 |
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Gasp |
Happy Ever After |
Hear Me |
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Invisible Killer |
China Idol Boys |
Let's Fall in Love |
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Dance for Love |
Sing It! |
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Images: Shengshi Huarui Film Investment & Management Co., Ltd., Mass
Way Films, Long Teng Yi Hi Entertainment Distribution Co, Ltd., E.E-Media,
Jin Hai An Film and TV Co., Ltd., Meisha Original Music Forefront Base,
Wenshuo Musical Entertainment Co., Emperor Motion Pictures (Hong Kong),
Rex Film Productions Co., Ltd., Ding Li Entertainment (?), The View Art,
Key Point Production. |
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In
Gasp,
a practically broke American guy is trying to sell his worthless
business to a Chinese guy, who is also practically broke.
Invisible Killer
tell what happens after with a man's affair with a married woman is
exposed by a massive online human fresh search.
China Idol Boys
is about a growing up story of several teenage boys.
Dance for Love
follows a young dancer's up and down during the production of a new
musical.
Happy Ever After
is a love story of a boy and a girl, who are both passionate with
photography.
Hear Me
is another love story of a meal vender boy and a deaf girl.
Let's Fall in Love
documented the stories of over 20 married couples.
Sing It!
show the true story of a school principal bringing a group of
aboriginal kids out of the mountain for a dream of music.
Other new releases:
China:
Haeundae
(South Korea)
Hong Kong:
Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf
(China)
Orphan
(USA / Canada / Germany / France)
School Days with a Pig
(Japan)
Sunshine Cleaning
(USA)
Taiwan:
The Forbidden Legend: Sex & Chopsticks 2
(Hong Kong)
Good
(UK / Germany)
Largo Winch
(France)
Little Ashes
(UK)
Planet Raptor
(USA)
Rookies the Movie: Graduation
(Japan)
The Time Traveler's Wife
(USA)
Vier Minuten / Four Minutes
(Germany)
Click here for more |
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Farewell to Hong Kong Veteran "Villain" Ching Fui-On
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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August 28, 2009 |
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Ching Fui-On (1955 - 2009)
Image:
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Ching Fui-On
played supporting roles in more than 350 Hong Kong-made movies
and over 600 TV episodes. His physical appearance somehow made
he perfect for playing badies, especially gangsters.
Born in 1955 in Hong Kong, he began his movie
career in 1978 and caught his fame with roles in
Prison on Fire (1987) and
A Better Tomorrow II
(1987).
In 2004 he was diagnosed with pro-stage
nasopharynx cancer during the production of
Himalaya Singh in India.
He continued to work despite his doctor's warning that he only
had four months to live. Last month, his health deteriorated
dramatically, reportedly the cancer cells had spread to his
lungs.
He passed away last night in Hong Kong,
accompanied by his son and several friends, including Alan Tam,
Eric Tsang and Nicky Cheung. |
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Opening This
Week: August
8 - 14, 2009
- More
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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August 27, 2009 |
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baseball boys |
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Image: Flash Forward Entertainment |
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A documentary follows the story of an elementary school baseball
team...
Click here for detail
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THE BROTHERS, a Tribute to Akira
Kurosawa
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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August 27, 2009 |
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Two rookie robbers played by Hu Jun (top) and Jiang
Wu (bottom).
Images: Stellar Mega Media, Shanghai Film Group Corporation, Beijing
studio Infotainment China Media and Backlight Pictures Beijing. |
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Young Chinese director Yang Shupeng says his
second movie,
The Brothers
is a tribute to Japanese master director Akira Kurosawa. Judging
from the clothing, weapons and set designs shown in two teaser
trailers and a few stills released last year at Toronto
International Film Festival, this movie indeed looks very much like
a colored version of Kurosawa’s
The Seven Samuri.
The movie is set in China’s Tang Dynasty
(618-907), a era produced great influence on the Japanese culture.
It follows the story of two rookie robbers’ “adventures in a
seemingly peaceful Bitter Bamboo Village, where they encounter a
beautiful woman, a group of soldiers and a village head scheming to
kill the duo.” Hu Jun will play one of the robbers, archer Xue
Shisan and Jiang Wu, the younger brother of director actor Jiang Wen,
will play the other robber, swordsman Chen Liu. Wang Xiao and Yu
Xiaolei play the two women. The cast also include Taiwanese actor
Lee Lichun.
A press conference held yesterday in Beijing
announced the Chinese title was changed from Bitter Bamboo Forest to
My Tang Dynasty Brother. The director said the new title implied the
movie is a dark comedy. It also got a very boring English title,
The Brothers, changed from The Robbers, equally boring.
The movie is pointedly financed by Beijing-based
Stellar Mega Media, Shanghai Film Group Corporation, Beijing studio
Infotainment China Media and Backlight Pictures Beijing.
Shooting ended last year and theatrically release
in China is scheduled for October.
The directorial debut of Yang Shupeng, an ex-firefighter, is
The Cold Flame,
a drama follows a 14-year-old girl (Michelle Gong) and a Chinese
soldier's (Zhang Hanyu) peculiar love story during WWII.
International teasers and stills released last
September (10 pages)
Shots from yesterday's press conference.
Related reading:
Infotainment's Robbers starts shooting with Hu Jun,
March 27, 2008, by Sen-lun Yu , Screen Daily
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Opening This
Week: August 15 - 21, 2009 - More
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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August 27, 2009 |
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Fei Ba, Pi Li |
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Image: Ori Animation Co., Ltd. |
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A rookie fighter plane
set out to search for a plane missing in the desert...
Click here for detail
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Tsui Hark Says His DETECTIVE D Is a Brand New
Start from Zero
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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August 26, 2009 |
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Hong Kong legendary director Tsui Hark's latest action thriller
Detective D
(title being promoted internationally),
as
the 50th film since he directed his first about 25 years ago,
will end production this month.
The story is set in the Empress Wu Zetian's era during Tang Dynasty. The
imprisoned detective D is asked by the empress to investigate a
mysterious murder, with helps from Shangguan Jinger, a courtesan of the
empress and Pei Donglai, a younger generation detective, whose albino
decease makes him prefers to work in the dark.
The center of the story is solving a case and He said there would be
some things look very strange but actually explainable. He also said he
hoped detective Dee would be listed as a member of the international
hall of fame for detectives. He would let the world to know, besides
Sherlock Holms and James Bond, there was also detective D from China. He
also said he would not repeat himself and everything in the movie was
created from zero.
The main character,
"Detective D", is actually Di Renjie, a Tang Dynasty chief of the
supreme court, who is known for solving a large number of cases without
making any mistake. He was the hero of a Qing Dynasty novel, and
internationally, he was made famous with a book series titled Judge Dee,
by 20th Century Dutch diplomat Robert van Gulik.
The cast include Andy Lau as Detective D, Fan Bingbing as Shangguan
Jinger, Deng Chao as Pei Donglai, Carina Lau as Empress Wu Zetian and
Leung Kar-Fai as. Sammo Hung acted as the action director. The script is
penned by Taiwan writer director Chen Kuo-fu. The project is produced by
Beijing-based private studio Huayi Brothers.
More images:
Andy Lau as Detective Dee:
A
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Li Bingbing as Shangguan Jinger:
A
Deng Chao as Pei Donglai:
A
B
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Set design sketches:
A
B
C
Story board:
A
Production stills:
A
B
C
Spy photos:
A
B
C
D
An extra's private photos:
A
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First Official Stills of Zhang
Yimou's AMAZING TALES: THREE GUNS
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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August 24, 2009 |
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Left column:
Yan Ni as
the noodle restaurant owner's wife,
Shen He
(stage name: Xiao Shen Yang) as Li Si the waiter,
Li Si with
the noodle restaruant owner Wang Wumazi (Ni Dahong),
Soldiers,
Right
column:
Sun Honglei
as Zhang San the soldier contracted to kill,
Zhang San is
doing his contract job.
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(Images: Beijing New Picture Film Co., EDKO
Film.) |
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The first batch of Zhang Yimou's
Blood Simple
remake, comedy thriller
Amazing Tales: Three Guns,
are released. In the Coen brothers'
Blood Simple
begins as a bar-owner in Texas hires a private detective to kill his
cheating wife and her new man, a bartender but the detective has a plan
of his own. The rest of the story is a very complicated
and is full of misunderstandings and deceits.
Story of Zhang Yimou's remake begins as a noodle
restaurant-owner in the northwest part of ancient China hires a
soldier to kill his cheating wife and her new man, a waiter, but
the soldier has a plan of his own.
The exact meaning of the original Chinese title
San Qiang Pai An Jing Qi
is currently a mystery. "San" means 3, and "Pai An Jing Qi" roughly
means "striking the table in amazement" (as one's reaction after being
amazed). However, "Qiang" has multiple meanings in Chinese. "San Qiang"
could mean "3 spears", "3 guns", "3 spear stabs" or "3 gunshots". The
English title we have known, Amazing Tales: Three Guns, may or may not
be correct.
Hard to understand if you are not familiar with Chinese culture. The
title is actually of "Striking the Table in Amazement, First Series"
and "Striking the Table in Amazement, First Series", two classic
short story collections by Ming Dynasty Chinese author Ling Mengchu
(1580 -1644). When translated to English, the books are simply
called "Amazing
Tales: First Series" and "Amazing
Tales: Second Series".
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Open House Day of Feng
Xiaogang's AFTERSHOCK
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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August 24, 2009 |
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Set: residential compound of employees of a steel
factory.. |
Set: a narrow street with two antique vehicles, a
Chinese made CA-10 truck and a Soviet made GAZ-69. |
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(Images: Sina.com, Huanbohai News.) |
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Last week, Chinese director Feng Xiaogang hosted an
open house day on the newly constructed set for his new movie
working-titled The Great Tangshan Earthquake, previously known as
Aftershocks.
It is based on novel title Aftershock by Chinese-born
woman writer Zhang Ling, a full-time hearing therapist living in
Toronto. The novel begins with the
Great 1976 Tangshan Earthquake, which
destroyed the entire city of Tangshan and killed more than 240,000
people. In the story, a seven year old girl is trapped beneath the
rubble along with his twin brother. When informed only one of them can
be pulled out safely, their mother choose to sacrifice the girl. Though
survived eventually, the horror and her mother’s decision leave a deep
scare in her heart, which she struggles throughout her adulthood.
The approximately one square kilometer set is built
on a former landfill turned public park outside of Tangshan city
to recreate the Tangshan city right before the earthquake. It will only
be used for a four-day long filming of before-quake scenes. Then it will
be turned into rubble for the quake and after quake scenes. In the shoot
scheduled to begin on Tuesday, a crane will fall and smash the set and
buildings and ground will be jacked up to simulate the earthquake.
Filming was also done in the city of Hangzhou, for
scenes of the girl attending university, and in Chengdu, capital of
Sichuan province, hit very hard in last year’s earthquake. Reportedly,
the
Sichuan earthquake, which killed nearly
70,000 people, with more than 18,000 people still listed as missing,
occurred only two weeks before the novel was sold for the adaptation.
Producers and the director decide to change the ending to let the little
girl volunteers as a rescuer along with his brother.
The cast include Zhang Jingchu as the little girl (adult), Xu Fan as her
mother, Li Chen as the her brother (adult), Zhang Guoqiang as their
father, Chen Daoming, Chen Jin, Lu Yi and Pan Hong and Liu Lili.
The project was launched by Beijing-based private studio Huayi Brothers,
partnering with state-run China Film Group and the municipal government
of Tangshan. The current title was picked probably due to the influence
of Tangshan government and director Feng prefer to change it because the
Tangshan earthquake only occupies a small part of the story.
More set
photos:
A
B C
D
Related:
Feng follows hit with "Aftershocks",
by Variety, June 1, 2009
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Opening This
Week:
August 15 - 21, 2009
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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August
21, 2009 |
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Metallic Attraction:
Kungfu Cyborg |
Vengeance |
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Ace Mission |
Happy Running |
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Images: LE TV Investment (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Galloping Horse Film &
TV Production, Mei Ah Culture Communication Co., Ltd., Shanghai Film
Group Corp., Qujiangmengyuan Film & TV Co., Ltd., New Film Association
Co., Ltd., Shanghai Media Group (SMG), Toonmax TV, Mudanjiang News
Communication Group, Dream Animation, Wuxi Radio and TV Group, Beijing
Film Academy, Zhi Xin Da (Beijing) Investment Co., Ltd., Milky Way Image
Company, ARP Sélection, Media Asia Films. |
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A
Kungfu Cyborg,
popular new cop in town, if facing a dilemma, to help human or to
join the rebellion cyborgs.
A French assassin-turned-chef comes to Hong Kong with a
Vengeance.
Three kids team up with a
good alien to protect earth resources from a bad alien in Ace
Mission.
A little winter melon is
offered with a can of lucky stars, which will help him to win in the
Happy Running.
Other new releases:
China:
Empire of Silver
(Taiwan / China)
State of Play
(USA / UK / France)
Hong Kong:
Metallic Attraction: Kungfu Cyborg
(China)
G-Force
(USA)
Inglourious Basterds
(USA / Germany / France)
Taiwan:
KJ
(Hong Kong)
Coco avant Chanel / Coco before Chanel
(France)
G-Force
(USA)
Kabuli Kid
(France / Afghanistan)
Inglourious Basterds
(USA / Germany / France)
Sanpei the Fisherboy
(Japan)
Click here for detail |
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First Official Stills of 14 BLADES
(Sina.com) |
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August
18, 2009 |
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(Images: Shanghai Film Group, Visualizer Film Productions, Desen
International Media Co., Ltd., Mediacorp Raintree Pictures Pte
Ltd., ShengShi HuaRui Film Investment & Management Co., Ltd.,
Donlord & Skykee Film Investment Co., Ltd., New Film Association
Co., Ltd., Star Union Media.) |
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Jean-Jacques Annaud to Build a WOLF TOTEM
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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August
18, 2009 |
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Teaser poster
(Image: Beijing Forbidden City Film Co., Ltd,
Beijing TV Station.) |
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French director Jean-Jacques Annaud has signed on to helm
Chinese movie Wolf Totem, based on the
same title best-seller
by Jiang Rong, published six years ago.
About the book (from Publishers Weekly):
A publishing sensation in China, this novel wraps an ecological
warning and political indictment around the story of Chen Zhen,
a Beijing student sent during the 1960s Cultural Revolution to
live as a shepherd among the herdsmen of the Olonbulang, a
grassland on the Inner Mongolia steppes. Chen Zhen is fascinated
by the herdsmen, descendants of Genghis Khan, and by the
grassland's wolves, with whom the herdsmen live in uneasy
harmony. When Mao's government orders the mass execution of the
wolves to make way for farming collectives run by Chen Zhen's
own people, the Han Chinese, he makes for a somewhat passive
hero. Except for Bilgee, the wise old herdsman, and Director
Bao, the face of the Communist government in the Olonbulang, the
novel's secondary characters make little impression. The wolf
packs, however, are vividly and beautifully described. As Chen
Zhen helplessly witnesses the consequences of the order, he
risks the enmity of both the herdsmen and the state officials by
capturing a wolf cub and lovingly raising it as his own wolf
totem. Jiang Rong writes reverently about life on the steppes in
a manner that recalls Farley Mowat's Never Cry Wolf. (Mar.)
Copyright Š Reed Business Information, a division of Reed
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. |
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Donnie Yen Holds the 14 BLADES
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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August
17, 2009 |
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An officially released design sketch.
(Image: Shanghai Film Group, Visualizer Film
Productions, Desen International Media Co., Ltd., Mediacorp
Raintree Pictures Pte Ltd., ShengShi HuaRui Film Investment &
Management Co., Ltd., Donlord & Skykee Film Investment Co.,
Ltd., New Film Association Co., Ltd., Star Union Media.) |
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14 Blades'
story is set in the final years of China's Ming Dynasty (1368 -
1644). Green Dragon, a member of the White Coat Guards, the
imperial secret police, is on a mission to steal a military
token. He falls into a trap and becomes a wanted man. Narrowly
escapes the hunt of his fellow guards, he befriends Qiao Hua,
daughter of the head of Yutian Escort Service. While on the run
in the desert, they uncover a scheme by eunuch minister Jia
Jingzhong, who is in control of the White Coat Guards, and
Prince Qing to steal the power.
The Chinese title means “The White Coat Guards”
and I am not sure what “14 Blades” are referring to. This is the
latest from Hong Kong director Daniel Lee, who made the brainless
Dragon Squad and the much improved
Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon.
Donnie
Yen plays Green Dragon and Zhao Wei plays Qiao Hua. Wu Chun and Qi
Yuwu play to killers. The cast also includes Chen Kuan-Tai, starred
in many classic Shaw Brothers’ martial-art films.
The
rights are shared by six companies from Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai
and Singapore - Shanghai Film Group (SH), Visualizer Film
Productions (HK), Desen International Media Co.,Ltd. (BJ),
Mediacorp Raintree Pictures Pte Ltd. (SG), ShengShi HuaRui Film
Investment & Management Co., Ltd. (BJ), Donlord & Skykee Film
Investment Co., Ltd. (HK), New Film Association Co., Ltd. (BJ) and
Star Union Media (HK).
Slideshows:
scene designs
character designs
teaser poster
production photos |
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Opening This
Week:
August 8 - 14, 2009
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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August
14,
2009 |
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Sophie's Revenge |
McDull, Kung Fu Kindergarten |
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Turning Point |
No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti |
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Images: Perfect World Co., CJ Entertainment, Sophie Production Ltd.,
Taihe Film Investment Co., Ltd., Bliss Concepts, SMG, Sun Wah Media, You
Yang Entertainment Media Co., Shaw Brothers, Television Broadcasts
Limited (TVB), Atom Cinema. |
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In
Sophie's Revenge,
Zhang Ziyi has a plan to take back her ex-boyfriend.
DcDull ,
the famous Hong Kong piglet, travels north to study in
Kung Fu Kindergarten.
A double agent working
for both the police and a gang has to make a painful choice, in
Turning Point.
In
No Puedo Vivir Sin Ti, a father, fed up with bureaucracy,
attempt to kill himself and his daughter in front of the public.
Other new releases:
China:
none
Hong Kong:
Aliens in the Attic (USA / Canada)
Land of the Lost (USA)
Taiwan:
Dream (South Korea)
The Handsome Suit (Japan)
Keroro The Movie 4 (Japan)
My Sister's Keeper (USA)
Orphan (USA / Canada / Germany / France)
Spread (USA)
Click here for detail |
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MULAN, a Live Action
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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August
13, 2009 |
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Teaser
poster used in Cannes
(Image:
Starlight International Media Co., Ltd,
PKU Starlight Group, Hunan TV & Broadcast Intermediary Program
Branch, Beijing
Gallop Horse Film & TV Production, Shanghai
Film Group Corp., Polybona Film Distribution Co., Ltd.) |
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This is
not a remake of Disney's animation Mulan, but rather based on the
same Chinese folklore about a young girl joins the army, imposing as
a man, to defend her country against the nomadic invaders. This is
also not related to Hua Mulan projects with Michelle Yeoh and Zhang
Ziyi somewhat attached. This one is pushed by several Chinese
companies, Starlight International Media Co., Ltd, PKU Starlight
Group, Hunan TV & Broadcast Intermediary Program Branch, Beijing,
Gallop Horse Film & TV Production, Shanghai Film Group Corp.,
Polybona Film Distribution Co., Ltd., with Hong Kong director Jingle
Ma ( Seoul Raiders,
Tokyo Raiders,
Goodbye, Mr. Cool) on
board.
The
script is written by Zhang Ting, who previously wrote a TV
adaptation of Louis Cha's book Legend of the Eagle Shooting Hero.
Tung Wai ( Painted
Skin,
Seven Swords,
Bulletproof Monk,
Hero,
The Blade),
also from Hong Kong, works as the co-producer to handle mainly the
action sequences.
The cast includes Zhao Wei as Hua Mulan, Chen Kun as Wen Tai,
her deputy battalion commander, Hu Jun as Modu the Hun leader,
Jaycee Chan as a fellow soldier, Xu Jiao (played Stephen Chow's
son in CZ7) as the young Hua Mulan, and Russian singer Vista as
a captured singer.
posters
stills
teaser trailer and behind-the-scene clip
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DON QUIXOTE, an Ancient Chinese Adaptation
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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August
12, 2009 |
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Teaser poster (Image:
Filmko Holdings.) |
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Don
Quixote's story will be told on the big screen again, this time by
Chinese director A Gan, whose previous works are low budget
romances. comedies or horror flicks. The story will be set in
Chang'an (now Xi'an) the capital city of Chinese Tang Dynasty (618 -
907 A.D.). And that is not all. A Gan intends to make it in 3D.
Machines and specialists are brought in from the US and Germany to
handle the 3D effect. About 60 minute of the final print will
contain CG effects.
Set
will be built somewhere in the outskirt of Beijing, to recreate the
ancient Chang'an city, vanished centuries ago.
The
cast includes Guo Tao, Huang Bo and Liu Hua, who worked together
previously in comedy
Crazy Stone
back in 2006.
The
film is financed by Hong Kong based Filmco Holdings, with a budget
of around US$1000 millions.
No
other detail is known at this moment.
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THE STORM RIDERS Are Back, and They Are THE STORM
WARRIORS Now
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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August
12, 2009 |
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(Images: Orange Sky
Entertainment, Sil-Metropole Organisation, Universe
Entertainment.) |
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11 years ago, Hong Kong filmmakers made fantasy martial-art film
The Storm Riders.
With visuals from comic artist Ma Wing-Shing and the best CG
techniques Hong Kong could offer at that time,
The Storm Riders
was an instead hit.
Now the Hong Kongers are back with
The
Storm Warriors, hoping for another box-office
success. Still based on the universe created by Ma Wing-Shing, with
the Pang brothers (Oxide and Danny) replacing Lau Wai-keung,
director of the original, The Storm Warriors in Hong Kong the coming
Christmas season. Two leads Aaron Kwok and Ekin Cheng reprise their
role, with new actors in the cast, Nicholas Tse, Simon Yam, Charlene
Choi, Lam Suet, Wong Tak-bun, Tang Yan, Patrick Tam, Kenny Ho, Anson
Leung and Bryron Pang.
The movie is shot entirely against real set and blue screens inside
a soundstage in Thailand, the birthplace of Pang brothers. That is
probably inspired by the making of 300.
The story follows Wind (Ekin Cheng) and Cloud (Aaron Kwok) trying to
stop a new villain Lord Godless (Simon Yam) from the east, who waged
a war against the central land.
international teaser
full trailer
posters and stills
character design |
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Historical
Drama with IP MAN Sequel Goes into Production
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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August
11, 2009 |
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L: Mao Tse-Tung (Tang Guoqiang) and his close colleagues meet at a
small village.
R: Chiang Kai-shek (Zhang Guoli) enjoys his glorious moment as the
newly elected president.
(Images: China Film
Group Corp., Poly-bona Film Publishing Company, CCTV Movie
Channel, Emperor Multimedia Group (EMG), Media Asia Films,
Universe Entertainment.) |
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This
year is the 60th anniversary of the funding of the People’s Republic
China and
Jian Guo Da Ye
(literally means: The Great Founding of a Nation) is a Beijing-Hong
Kong jointly produced drama chronicle the 60 year old history.
The story start in 1945, right after the Japanese surrender,
communist leader Mao Tse-Tung flys to Chongqing the capital city,
for a peace talk with Chiang Kai-shek, the nation’s leader. However,
the peace treaty fails to prevent the civil war from happening. By
1949, Chiang’s nationalist government has lost much of the land and
is relocated to Taiwan. In the same year, the communist party
invited a large number of respected people to meet in Beijing for
setting up a new government.
State-run and private owned studios from Beijing and Hong Kong are
involved in the production – state-owned China Film Group Corp. and
CCTV Movie Channel, Beijing-based private studio Poly-bona Film
Publishing Company, and three Hong Kong companies Emperor Multimedia
Group (EMG), Media Asia Films and Universe Entertainment.
The directors are Han Sanping, president of China Film, and Huang
Jianxin. Chen Kaige and Peter Chan worked as the guest directors.
What really makes the movie usual is that 172 movie stars and
directors from the mainland China and Hong Kong cameo as real and
fictional historical people, including: Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Zhang
Ziyi Zhang, John Woo (scene deleted), Donnie Yen, Leung Chiu-Wai,
Zhao Wei, Andy Lau, Vivian Wu, Liu Ye, Chen Kaige, Jiang Wen, Feng
Xiaogang, Leon Lai, Leon Lai, Hu Jun, Ge You, Huang Xiaoming, Chen
Daoming, Chen Kun, Chen Hong, Wang Baoqiang, Gong Beibi, Chen Hao,
Wang Xueqi, Wu Gang, Guo Degang, Wang Xuebing, Tao Zeru, Sun Xing,
He Lin, Xiu Zongdi, Tong Dawei, Feng Yuanzheng, Guo Xiaodong, Chen
Baoguo, Sun Honglei, Zhang Hanyu, Feng Gong, Fan Wei, Ying Da, Deng
Chao, Hou Yong, Huang Shengyi, You Yong, Miao Pu, Xu Qing, …
The
releases in the mainland China
and Hong Kong are set for September 17 and September 20
(subject to change). Released in Taiwan is scheduled on September
18.
1st trailer
2nd trailer
Theme song video clip
Slide
show:
Chen Daoming, Jiang Wen, Jet Li, Chen Kaige,
John Woo, Chen Kun, Tong Dawei, Feng Yuanzheng, Xiu Zongdi, Guo
Xiaodong
Stills:
Ge You
Jackie Chan
Andy Lau
Donnie Yen and Zhao Wei
Zhang Ziyi
Feng Xiaogang
Hu Jun
Huang Xiaoming
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IP MAN Sequel
Goes into Production
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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August
11, 2009 |
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L to R: ?, Fan Siu-Wong, Xiong Dailin, Huang
Xiaoming, Donnie Yen, Jiang Daiyan,
Shi Xiaolong, producer Wong Bak-Ming, director Wilson Yip, Yip Chun
(eldest son of Ip Man), ?.
(Image: TungStar, Sina.com) |
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A
ceremony held last night in Foshan, Guangdong Province of southern
China marked the official start of the principal shooting of
Ip Man 2: Legend of the Grandmaster
(literal). Foshan was the hometown of Ip Man.
This
original
Ip Man
(full title "Ip Man: Grandmaster of a Generation"), released last
year, is loosely based on the life of Wing Chun martial-art master
Ip Man in the 1930s and 1940s. It tells the master enjoys his
private life until the Japanese invades, forcing him to fight a
one-man war against the occupier.
Story
of the second installment will pick-up from the end of the first
one, in which Ip Man escaped from the Japanese occupied territory
and fled to Hong Kong. It will show on how Ip Man became a respected
martial-art grandmaster in Hong Kong as we know today. The rivalry
between Wing Chun and another from of martial-art, Hung.
The sequel will be made with the original crew, including director
Wilson Yip, writer Edmond Wong and action director Sammo Hung.
Donnie Yen returns as Ip Man, alone with Xiong Dailin as his wife,
Fan Siu-Wong as master Jin Shan Zhao (Ip's rival in the first film
and friend in the second), Simon Yam as Ip's best friend Zhou
Qingquan, Lam Ka-Tung as ex-policeman Li Zhao, Lynn Hung as Zhang
Yongcheng.
New cast member includes Sammo Hung playing the grandmaster of Hung,
and three actors from the mainland China, TV and movie star Huang
Xiaoming, martial-art star Shi Xiaolong and young actor Jiang Daiyan
(playing the young Bruce Lee). Other new cast members are, according
to IMDB, Kent Cheng, To Yu-Hang and Amber Chia. The studios are
still looking for a man to play the adult Bruce Lee.
Shooting has begun in Shanghai, where the first Ip Man was made.
Release in Hong Kong and mainland China is set for the summer of
2010.
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Andy Lau in
Talk to Join Benny Chan's new SHAOLIN TEMPLE
(MonkeyPeaches
Exclusive) |
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August
11,
2009 |
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Shaolin Temple's main entrance. (Image:
17167.com) |
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The new
Shaolin Temple, mostly
likely neither a sequel nor a remake of the classic 1982 version
Shaolin Temple,
is being pushed by Hong Kong's Emperor Motion Pictures (EMG) and
Shaolin Temple Diffusion (Dengfeng) Co., Ltd., owned by the real
Shaolin Temple (aka. Shaolin Monetary), Henan Film and TV Group.
Names for possible casting choice have appeared in the press,
Jet Li, whose performance in the original
Shaolin Temple
made him an instant star, Jackie Chan, a co-owner of EMG, Jay
Chou, recently cast to play Kato in the Hollywood
Green Hornet
remake, an Andy Lau, just completed Tsui Hark's
Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame.
Jet Li
has
said he is not involved and Andy Lau has admitted he is in talk to
play "a warlord's son who is a spear master" in the project. The
other two stars have yet commented on the new report. Director Benny
Chan (Connected,
Invisible Target,
Rob-B-Hood,
New Police Story) said he
wished for a large number of big stars for this project but it would
not possible.
A brief
plot description says, "In the early years of the republic era, the
nation was controlled by warlords and the people suffered. This is
the story of Shaolin monks willing to sacrifice themselves to
protect the people." In the real history, Shaolin monks join a
warlord group in 1922, and in 1928, the temple was captured and
burnt to ground by
enemy troops. Most buildings of today's Shaolin Temple were
rebuilt during the 1980s and 1990s.
The
movie will be shot in the real Shaolin Temple with real Shaolin
monks performing real Shaolin kung-fu. A press conference will be
held later this month at the temple and filming will kick-off by
December, according to
Shaolin Temple Diffusion (Dengfeng) Co., Ltd. |
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BODYGUARDS AND
ASSASSINS Full Trailer Released
(Cinema Popular) |
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August
10,
2009 |
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international teaser poster |
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Image: Cinema Popular, China Film Group Corp., Shanghai Media &
Entertainment Group, Jiangshu Broadcasting System, Nanfang Radio, Film
and TV Media Group, Crown Elegance Media Co., Ltd., Poly-Huayi Media of
China, EE-MEDIA, Poly-Bona Film Publishing Co., Ltd. |
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A full trailer of Bodyguards and Assassins
has been released on the net. Set in Hong Kong back in 1905 and
largely fictional, the story tells Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, the soon-to-be
founder of the Chinese republic, travels to Hong Kong to raise money
for his revolutionary cause. The imperial government sends assassins
to kill Sun, and a local business tycoon, Sun’s supporter, hires
eight bodyguards to escort him to safety, through 13 blocks.
It is directed by Teddy Chan (Wait Till You’re
Older, The Accidental Spy, Purple Storm) and
produced by director Peter Chan (The Warlords, Perhaps
Love, Comrades: Almost a Love Story) and director Huang
Jianxin (Back to Back, Face to Face, Samsara, The
Black Cannon Incident).
An all-star cast is aiming the film at a high
box-officer return later this year. The cast include: Donnie Yen as
Shen Chongyang, the Gambler; Leon Lai as Liu Yubai, the Beggar;
Nicholas Tse as A Si, the Rickshaw Man, Hu Jun as Yan Xiaoguo, the
Assassin; Leung Ka-Fai as Chen Shaobai, the Revolutionary; Li Yuchun
as Fang Hong, the Diva; Wang Xueqi as Li Yutang, the Tycoon; Eric
Tsang as Shi Mifu, the Policeman; Fan Bingbing as Yue Ru, the
Concubine; Wang Bo-Chieh as Li Chongguang, the Heir; Simon Yam as
Fang Tian, the Fugitive; Zhou Yun as A Chun, the Fiancée; Sabi
Bateer as the Hawker; Cung Le as Sa Zhenshan, the Henchman; Michelle
Reis; Xing Yu, Wang Wenjie and Philip Ng as another assassin. Chow
Yun-Fat is rumored to play Sun Yat-Sen.
The project started almost a decade ago in Hong
Kong, with the original title Sap Yeuh Wai Sing (Cantonese
pronunciation), which means “October in Victoria City”. Victoria
City was the urban area the British planned for themselves in
mid-1800s. To tone down the colonial element in the title, the third
character “Wai” was replaced by another one also pronounced as “Wai”.
The new title, which has been used ever since, could mean “City
Siege in October”.
In 2004, a set was built in Chinese city of
Guangzhou, to recreate Hong Kong’s Central district in 1905, and
shooting was about to start with Aaron Kwok, Leung Ka-Fai, Andy Lau
and Eason Chan Then the financier backing the project unexpectedly
took his own life, forcing the projected to be shut down.
Last year director producer Peter Chan and Huang
Jianxin picked it up secured new funding from powerful Chinese
companies, like China Film Group Corp., Bona Films and
Shanghai Media & Entertainment Group. A larger, more expensive and
more realistic set, occupies an area equals to 10 football fields,
was built over an eight month span in Shanghai. Overwhelmed by the
complexity of the filming, Teddy Chan and Peter Chan asked Andrew
Lau for help. Lau (Confession of Pain, Initial D, the
Infernal Affairs trilogy) flew in and took over the shooting
of some scenes. He said he would use the same set for his next film.
Could it be Queen’s Road Ripper, which tells Jack the Ripper
vanishes from London and reappears in Hong Kong?
Principal shooting has wrapped up last week and
the release in Hong Kong and the rest of China is scheduled for the
coming Christmas.
The only thing produced during the first
production attempt is a short teaser trailer, a CG clip showing the
change of Hong Kong island’s cityscape from 1905 to 2005, in
backward. This clip is contained in the full trailer.
Teasers and full trailer
Cinema Popular's official site with a nice
slideshow of the film
Clip: last day of filming
Character posters
Stills of various kinds |
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Opening This
Week: August
1 - 7, 2009
(MonkeyPeaches Exclusive) |
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August
8,
2009 |
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On His Majesty's Secret Service |
Yang Yang |
Yellow Sheep River |
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Images: Mega-Vision Pictures (MVP), China Film Group Corp.,
Scholarship Global Multimedia Co., Ltd., Joy Films, Hualu Baina Movie
Co., Ltd., Ciwen Pictures, Zeus International Production Ltd., Crystal
Clear Pictures. |
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On His Majesty's
Secret Service, a service man believes technology is
superior than kung fu...
Yang Yang, a half
Chinese half French girl, struggles to find the real self...
19 stories occur in
Yellow Sheep River of the countryside of northwestern China...
Other new releases:
China:
Doraemon: Nobita and the
Green Giant Legend (Japan)
G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra (USA)
UP (USA)
Hong Kong:
Doraemon: Nobita and the Green Giant Legend (Japan)
Drag Me to Hell (USA)
G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra (USA)
Taiwan:
Dieta Mediterránea / Mediterranean Food (Spain)
G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra (USA)
Mia et le Migou / Mia and the Migou (France / Italy)
Click here for detail |
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