Articles

 Among those martial arts stars/directors in the entertainment industry that are from Guangxi, perhaps the most famous is Xiong Xin Xin. Yet, few know of 谭俏 Tan Qiao, who also hails from Guangxi - or more specifically, Guilin. While the name Tan Qiao may not ring a bell to most people, he ranks alongside the foremost kickers and martial arts choreographers ever to grace the silverscreen. Continue reading "Tan Qiao: Fighting from Guangxi to Hollywood"

Over 10 million yuan and around 4 months were spent on building the 1:1 life-size replica of Shaolin Temple in Yanshi, Yongkang. Some structures or props of the new Shaolin Temple were actually built larger for ease of filming or to impart a more numinous feel, such as the towering giant Buddha statue.

Continue reading "Shaolin: Andy Lau Teams up with Wu Jing, Xing Yu and Yu Shao Qun Against Nicholas Tse and Xiong Xin Xin"

 -- Kong Fu Man --
 Kungfu Hero/Kong Fu Man, directed by Ning Ying and Yuen Cheung Yan, starring Tiger Chen, Jiang Meng Jie, Vanessa Branch, Andre McCoy, Tan Qiao, Lin Shen, etc. has wrapped up filming in late January. On his blog, Tiger Chen expresses his gratitude to all those involved for their hard work. He also reiterates that Kungfu Hero and Tai Chi Tiger are two separate and distinct works, though the latter is often mistaken as the previous incarnation of Kungfu Hero. Continue reading "Having A Rollicking Good Time on Kong Fu Man"

 Set against backdrop of the boundless, arid, desolate desert in the western part of China, revolving around the three polar groups: detectives, runaway convicts, and assassins, Tempest of the Westerly Winds explores the hope for survival, the true meaning of love, the final resting place of destiny as the three groups keep each other in check and struggle against each other. Continue reading "Nicky Li Responds to Gao Qun Shu's Call to Give Everyone a Tempestuous Ride on Tempest of the Westerly Winds"

With True Legend's release date drawing nearer, more and more videos and stills from the film are surfacing. The gala premiere will be held in Beijing on January 31, possibly attended by some Hollywood personages. In addition, True Legend, as well as Little Big Soldier, will get a special screening at 60th Berlin International Film Festival in February.

Continue reading "True Legend: More Images, Footages, and Yet More Yuen Wo Ping Pep Talk"

It had long been the wish of Sin Kwok Lam, a longtime martial arts practitioner and shrewd businessman and capitalist who is a major player in Hong Kong financial sector and has even published a controversial book on big corporations swallowing up small firms last year, to bring the account of his grandmaster Yip Man to screen, but he couldn't find any filmmakers willing enough to take the risk as Yip Man was little known. Continue reading "And thus, Ip Man, The Legend, is Born"

 With his rising popularity and big sellouts of his films, Donnie Yen is fast becoming one of the top earners in the industry, commanding up to 20m yuan per film this year, after Jackie Chan (30m yuan), Jet Li (25m yuan) and Chow Yun Fatt (25m yuan). Hailed as the new King of Kung Fu, he is getting even more offers this year, running the gamut from historical epic  on 《关云长》 General Guan Yun Chang by Felix Chong and Alan Mak, through comic book adaptation 《中华英雄》 A Man Called Hero remake, to mythological feature 《大闹天宫》 Monkey King. Continue reading "Donnie Yen Seeks Quantum Leaps for Each Film He Does"

A 3D montage from True Legend whereby Zhao Wen Zhuo challenges his imagined opponent in order to elevate his martial arts skill was shown for the first time at a press conference in Beijing on December 20, attended by director Yuen Wo Ping, the cast Zhou Xun, Jiang Lu Xia and Will Liu. Post-production took over 10 months in order to create the fight scenes in 3D, done painstakingly layer by layer, frame by frame by Menfond Electronic Art and over 100 digital artists. Yuen Wo Ping says that to shoot the 3D action scenes, two cameras had to be set up, and he tried to devise moves that aren't too fanciful, such that the action could be seen distinctly, for maximum 3D visual impact.

Continue reading "True Legend in 3D - Partially"

 As the martial arts director for Wong Kar Wai's The Great Master, what do you think of Ip Man trend?
 Yuen Wo Ping: It might bring back the kungfu film wave, when there are so many Ip Man related films. Actually, the first was Wong Kar Wai, he talked about it for years, but only started shooting now. They have already finished filming Ip Man 2, yet he hadn't even started. I have to hand it to him, such patience, taking such a long time to do the preparation. I don't dawdle, dawdling grinds people to death. Continue reading "Yuen Wo Ping on Ip Man Trend and Those He Has Worked With"

While promoting Bodyguards and Assassins in Shanghai on December 9, producers Peter Chan and Yu Dong gave their thanks to Donnie Yen for helping the film wrap up successfully, returning to the set after filming had ended to re-enact a fight scene without taking extra pay. They also presented Donnie Yen with a film print of the parkour fight scene, that Donnie Yen, working with Cung Le and his longstanding team of 17 stuntmen, choreographed.

Continue reading "Donnie Yen Crossing Path with Cung Le in More Ways than One"

Being set in an imaginary ancient kingdom, Emi Wada created the costumes for Rain of Swords in the Pugilistic World with Ming Dynasty clothing in mind, yet infused them with a modern touch, such as the patchwork for a Michelle Yeoh's outfit. To reflect a more rustic, everyday feel, the clothes were made of hemp, and intentionally left creased.

Continue reading "The Three Assassins of Rain of Swords in the Pugilistic World"

How's your role in Tempest of the Westerly Winds?
Wu Jing: I'm nicknamed Goatherd, actually I long to be a hero, but never become one. I'm well-versed in wushu, might have been a soldier, and now I'm a trainee cop, understudy of Ni Da Hong, learning from him, enjoying life as a police. I took my brother's place when he died on duty. I'm only on contract, not an official cop. I'm an animated, quick-witted person, and am very good with car stunts. I'm also the best fighter.

Continue reading "Interview: Wu Jing Joins Legendary Four: Tempest of the Westerly Winds Without Reading the Script"