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CJ7

Straits Times

6 Feb 2008, Boon Cheng

Comic Relief

Stephen Chow conquered the East - and West - with his nonsensical humour in Kungfu Hustle. Will he have the last laugh for taking risks in his new family-oriented film?

Never work with children or dogs, goes the old showbiz saying. Comedy king Stephen Chow Sing Chi works with both in his latest film, CJ7, which opens here tomorrow. But neither the child star nor canine character reared their heads at his press conference here earlier this week. Instead, the director-actor shared the limelight with Chinese starlet Kitty Zhang Yu Qi, in the process dispelling rumours of a rift between the two.

-- Stephen Chow's Next --

Two icons of Chinese pop culture, comedian Stephen Chow and martial arts novelist Louis Cha (Jin Yong), may make a move together. Apple Daily said Chow, 44, organised a dinner on Monday for his hero, Cha, 82, at the members-only Shanghai Fraternity Association in Central in Hong Kong.

Over them meal, the actor-director presented Cha with a draft of a new script for a kungfu movie, said the report. Stephen Chow said if Louis Cha liked it, he could consider co-writing the film with him. The report said Stephen Chow hand plans for a movie incorporating many characters from Cha's books, including tragic hero Qiao Feng and his sworn brother Xuzhu from Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils and lovers Guo Jing and Huang Rong from The Legend of The Condor Heroes.

Personalities like sci-fi novelist Ni Kuang, Singapore-born writer-movie producer Chua Lam, Apple Daily columnist Chip Tsao and singer Paula Tsui were present at the dinner. Chow recently completed filming for a sci-fi comedy A hope, which was previously called Yangtze River VII.

A self-professed fan of Louis Cha's stories, he dropped references to Return of The Condor Heroes in his 2004 hit film Kung Fu Hustle. In the movie, a comical pugilistic couple played by Yuen Wah and Yuen Qiu reveal that their names are Yang Guo and Xiaolongnu - just like the characters from Return of Condor Heroes. When the movie was released, Stephen Chow asked if Louis Cha wanted to be paid royalties for the references and the author jokingly demanded HK$60 thousand for the six mentions. The report said Stephen Chow paid up and Louis Cha donated the sum to victims of the Asian tsunami.  The Straits Times

-- Kung Fu Monkey --

HK's 《猴拳宗师》 Kung Fu Monkey recently began production on Dec 3. The movie is currently being filmed in Hengdian. The kungfu movie relates to scion of Xi Qiao, Feng Shi-Er (Tan An-Ye, a US Muay Thai champion), a martial arts fanatic. After challenging Iron Bridge and being defeated, Feng Shi-er seeks tutelage under him, and gets embroiled in the tussle between Iron Bridge (Bruce Liang) and Northern School's Monkey Fist King (Gordon Liu). Bruce Liang's protege Chen Shi also has a role in the movie as his enemy. Bruce Liang reveals that he'd still be playing The Beast in Kung Fu Hustle 2, which is going to be filmed later next year. Sina

-- Kung Fu Hustle and Its Cinematic Roots at the 29th HKIFF --

Gina Marchetti had the opportunity to look at the cinematic roots of the Hong Kong blockbuster Kung Fu Hustle through the lens of the Hong Kong Film Archive's Pearl River Delta: Movie-Culture-Life film series.   HK Cinemagic >>More<<

-- Kung Fu Hustle 2 --

Eva Huang Sheng Yi, currently filming 《功夫状元》 Kungfu Beggar TV series that is produced by Stephen Chow and is wrapping up by end of the month, says that while the script for Kung Fu Hustle 2 《功夫2》 is not done, her role has been confirmed. She will play a rough and wild girl with martial arts ability, a big contrast to her role as the gentle, mute girl in the original. She will have plenty of lines in the sequel, coupled with fight scenes. She says that production might begin in October and adds that she will also be in 《功夫少女》 Kungfu Girl (tentative), another film being planned by Stephen Chow.  Ninghai News

Yuen Wo Ping on House of Fury

Hanngzhou Daily, 11 March 2005

Martial arts choreographer Yuen Wo Ping is, without a shadow of doubt, a certified maestro of the genre, having done many blockbusters of compelling martial arts sequences in the East and West. From Drunken Master, Fist of Legend, Master of Taichi, The Matrix trilogy, Kill Bill to Kung Fu Hustle, not only are they critically acclaimed but also a big success at the box office. Come March 24, House of Fury 《精武家庭》, in which Yuen Wo Ping again took charge of the action scenes, will be released nationwide. Yesterday, over the phone interview, Yuen Wo Ping did not mask his delights for this new feature directed by Stephen Fung.

-- Kung Fu Hustle DVD (YesAsia) --

Stephen Chow's latest martial arts comedy Kung Fu Hustle that was a phenomenal box office success in Asia is now available for pre-order and expects to ship on Feb 25, 2005. All Standard, Frosting Box and  Dermis Box Edition DVDs (DTS) are uncut and come with a limited YesAsia exclusive 89 colour pages booklet (while stock lasts) containing information on the cast, various production notes, Yuen Wo Ping interview, Stephen Chow's career, kungfu film History, character cut-outs, etc.

What's Eating Stephen Chow

The Straits Times, 21 December 2004
Hong Xinyi

Lauded as a comedian extraordinaire, the Hong Kong Superstar, here to promote Kung Fu Hustle, is surprisingly serious in person, as Hong Xinyi finds out.

Hey, What's So Funny?

Hong Kong's King of Comedy prefers martial arts to making people laugh... serious.

He has been tickly your funny bone as Hong Kong's comedian extraordinaire for the past 15 years. But if you ask him, what Stephen Chow really wants to do is flaunt his prowess as a martial arts expert. In town yesterday with some of his co-stars to promote his latest film Kung Fu Hustle, Stephen chow, 42, displayed little of his screen persona's mischievous irreverence. The cheekiness evident from his starring role in 1990s All for The Winner to 2001 blockbuster hit Shaolin Soccer was noticeably absent.

-- Kung Fu Hustle --
One of Asia's top "comedy stars" Stephen Chow is in Singapore to promote his latest movie - Kung Fu Hustle - which opens in cinemas on Thursday, Dec 23, 2004. And he's also scouting for martial arts talent from Singapore for the movie's sequel. Kung Fu Hustle is a dream come true for funnyman Stephen Chow, who as a child, idolised the late martial arts actor Bruce Lee.

Set in pre-evolutionary China, "Kung Fu Hustle" depicts the aspirations of a small time thief to become a kungfu master and to defeat the ruthless underworld mafia. And these comedic martial moves impressed Stephen Chow so much, he announced to a mostly-male fan audience that he'd start looking for talent for the movie's sequel here in Singapore.  Channel News Asia

-- Kung Fu Hustle --

Official Site

Stephen Chow, the Kung Fu Hustler   The Star

Chow's Homage to Kungfu   21st Century

Comedy King as Martial Artist   Shanghai Daily

Huang Sheng Yi Breaks the Silence   The Star

The Supporting Cast   The Star

Sina's Kung Fu Hustle Page - News, Videos, Photos (In Chinese)

Kung Fu Hustle opens in theatres in Asia on Dec 23, 2004.

-- Kung Fu Hustle --

Apart from martial artists Yuen Qiu, Yuen Wah and Bruce Leung, a Shaolin warrior monk, Xing Yu, also has a prominent role in Kung Fu Hustle. Xing Yu is the 32nd generation disciple of Shaolin Temple who began training under Reverend De Yang when he was 12.

Having eleven years of martial arts training, his skills are exceptional and has performed at various functions to the accolades of the audiences. Xing Yu was recommended to Stephen Chow by the local production and so impressed was Stephen Chow in the audition that he invited him to appear in Kung Fu Hustle and subsequently signed him up as an artiste under his management.  Sina