In the Pipeline

-- Violent Police Belle --

Dennis Law is beginning production on 《爆裂警花》 Violent Police Belle (tentative), starring Wu Jing and Chrissie Chau, in April or May 2010. Chrissie Chau, who has been training in Muay Thai under Sen to prepare herself for the film, plays a cop who disguises herself as a student to infiltrate a school to investigate a case and will have multiple action scenes opposite Wu Jing.

-- Shaolin --
As Shaolin is about to go into production later this month, the cast are receiving training in either Hong Kong or Mainland. Since two months back, Andy Lau has been training under martial arts directors Corey Yuen and Yuen Tak, as well as watching videos to learn the basics of Shaolin Fist.

Recently, Reverend Yongzhi and his disciple Xing Yu (aka 延能 Yan Neng) arrived in Hong Kong to give the cast specialised training. Andy Lau has been learning Seven-Star Fist under both of them, Reverend Yongzhi's fist is quick and powerful, and he is very fastidious about each movement and footwork, while Andy Lau is working very hard on it, practising each and every stance repeatedly and mindfully. Apart from martial arts training, Andy Lau, who meditates 45 minutes daily, also went to Shaolin Temple for a three-day retreat earlier on, hoping to understand the meaning of Zen and martial arts as one, in preparation for his role in Shaolin.

Andy Lau, whose earnest attitude influences his colleagues to train with him, says, "I have never tried meditating in the temple, studying scriptures and doing not doing, I didn't even have my handphone with me, thinking of nothing, purifying my thoughts. Actually, it's possible to talk nothing for three days, I felt more at ease and free. The true meaning of Shaolin kungfu is not limited to the kungfu per se, but also relates to the cultivation of one's mind, to reach the state of union of Zen and martial arts, gaining a deeper realisation of martial spirit."

Reverend Yongzhi, who rarely takes in any disciples, and has never taught anyone else outside the premises of Shaolin Temple, is making an exception for the film Shaolin, "I hope this new Shaolin film will propagate the real meaning of Shaolin martial arts. Shaolin kungfu is not simply about fighting, it also encompasses autogenous, infinity, understanding of Self, this is the meaning of Zen and martial arts as one. It's an affinity for Andy Lau to have the chance to pick up Shaolin kungfu."  

Aside from Andy Lau, director Benny Chan reveals that Wu Jing and Yu Shao Qun would be learning Joint-lock Techniques and Sticky Hands respectively, while Nicholas Tse gets a unique set of skills specially devised for the film. However, as the three of them are busy filming in Mainland, missing the chance to be coached personally by Reverend Yong Zhi, Corey Yuen and Yuen Tak will record his movements and pass the instructions to them later. Benny Chan has also gone to Shaolin Temple with the assistant director several months back to meditate, to experience firsthand the spiritual practice of Shaolin martial arts.  Netease

Video: Andy Lau Training in Seven Star Fist   Sina

Owing to low temperature and onslaughts of tempest, filming progress of Legendary Four: Tempest of the Westerly Winds, directed by Gao Qun Shu, choreographed by Nicky Li, is stymied. But, according to Lang Chen on his blog, the film should be wrapping up pretty soon.

Lang Chen, who was commissioned by Wu Jing to write Way of Tai Chi, is personally planning another work 《战士》 Warrior (tentative) for Wu Jing. He's writing the script with Wu Jing in mind and he would also be directing, though it is still quite far off before production begins.

He says that he mentions Wu Jing very often on his blog because he likes Wu Jing very much, for his simplicity, for his dedication to filmmaking, for the vulnerabilities and sensitivities within his heart.

It was when he first talked to him, for a few hours, that changed the way he looked at Wu Jing, who was but a kungfu star to him, a sunny person, and one with pride. When chatting, it is inevitable to gossip, to speak ill of others, yet in those few fours of talk, any word that came from Wu Jing's mouth did not involve anything negative about anyone.

And that is the type of people Lang Chen respects and adores. "Wu Jing is an actor, and has also become a director, I'm a director, and also a script writer, so, in our interaction, our topics mostly revolve around those things we that shared most passions on. He had his own views, and in fact, he had never-ending streams of ideas. Being in the industry of over 10 years, working till he's all burned out, was perhaps what he would desire most. I would augment his ideas, and also got rectified by him, I brought out new ideas... and the time passed quickly."

-- New Swordsman --

Beijing-based Perfect World announces that they have signed up Yuen Wo Ping to direct 《新笑傲江湖》 New Swordsman / New State of Divinity (tentative). Perfect World representative says that as they haven't finalised the script, which is in the third draft, the cast has not been determined, in spite of rumours of Takeshi Kaneshiro being invited to play Linghu Chong, Zhou Xun as Ren Ying Ying and Jay Chow as Asia Invincible.

Described as a unique all-new wuxia film with radical visuals, the story traces Linghu Chong's exploits when he gets accused and expelled by his master for stealing Lin family's Bixie Swordplay Manual after mastering Lonesome Nine Sword Techniques, a peerless form of fencing that counters any other skills by means of spotting and striking at opponents' vulnerabilities, that a reclusive Huashan elder Feng Qing Yang imparted to him in secret.

Production for New Swordsman, which reportedly has a budget of 200m yuan, begins no earlier than late February next year.  Xiamen News

Whether it is fuelled by the success Wilson Yip's Ip Man or not, Wing Chun is fast becoming a popular kungfu onscreen, with many Wing Chun-themed movies being produced.