Wu-Jing.org

On November 20, Nicky Li, Wu Jing and Celina Jade were invited for a chat hosted by Sina, sharing the joys and pains on the set of Legendary Assassin.

The subjects brought up include the frustrations of waiting passively for chances in Hong Kong, the reasons for opting for a simple story, their approach to action, preconceived notions on action stars' acting, one's respect to the profession, the tricks to crying, the difficulties of working with the giant wrestler, injuries and box office outlook.

Legendary Assassin opens in cinemas on December 10.

At a Legendary Assassin press conference in Beijing, Wu Jing reveals that he'd direct two to three more films: a period movie, a modern actioner, and a comedy, after which he'd step down as a director and just be an actor. And these plans are close to a state of being realised.

He won't be affected by Legendary Assassin's box office takings, which the distributor Mei Ah estimates to be around 60m yuan. If the film doesn't do well enough and no one is willing to finance his movies, he will invest himself.

Wu Jing says that being a director is an important step in his career, and is very grateful to his manager Paco Wong for giving him such a chance. Things went on very smoothly for his directorial debut with Nicky Li.

But Wu Jing next step would be "ditching" his partner, and directing independently. He is ready to move on, returning to that which launched his film career and in which he excels: directing a period martial arts film with Tai Chi as the main theme. The script is almost ready, and it may perhaps let everyone get to know martial arts in a different light. It involves not only Tai Chi handwork, but also weaponry such as Taichi Sword.

Should you haven't already seen this little gem, you're strongly encouraged to get Master of Tai Chi, a milestone in martial arts productions.

Legendary Assassin will hold its premiere, to be attended by Nicky Li, Wu Jing, Celina Jade, etc., in Beijing on November 28. Sina, MTime

-- Wang Qun Passes Away --

On January 3, 2008 at 5.10am, Mainland martial arts star Wang Qun, 48, died of sudden myocardial infarction. The wushu champion who came from the same wushu school as Jet Li and Wu Jing, Wang Qun had assumed responsibility as the Beijing Wushu Team leader for 17 years. Wang Qun had starred in several Chinese martial arts movies in the 1980s and early 1990s such as Cut-Thoat Struggle For An Invaluable Treasure, Godly Beggar, Huang Tianba, The Magic Legs and Fist from Shaolin. He had also worked with Wu Jing on a few TV series, Master of Taichi, New Shaolin Temple and New Reincarnation, playing some sort of an eccentric or removed elder who guides Wu Jing in one way or another. Let's observe a moment of silence for Wang Qun, one of the the most notable martial artists ever to grace the silver screen.  Liaoning Daily | Video: Sohu

-- Wu Dang 2 --
Production of Wu Dang 2 has wrapped up at Mt Wudang, Hubei on July 13, after merely two months' shoot. The costumes and props used for filming will be donated to the region to help boost tourism of Mt Wudang.  People Daily

Wu Dang 2 is the 3rd work in which Wu Jing uses Tai Chi, after Tai Chi 2, and Master of Tai Chi. His excellent skills and graceful movements won him a disciple - 马苏  Ma Su, who plays a wilful yet adorable and kind princess who has fallen for commoner Wu Jing.

While Ma Su has done wuxia productions like Hero on the Silk Road Hero before, it's after having witnessed Wu Jing's display of wushu that she knows what true martial arts mean. And so, the lively and energetic Ma Su decides to learn some real skills, and would pester Wu Jing to teach her whenever they are in between filming.

-- Master of Taichi DVD --

Wu Jing's tour-de-force, Master of Tai Chi, has been re-released recently by Tai Seng on shortened edition DVD that comes complete with English subtitles and dub. Master of Taichi is loosely based on the life of Yang Lu Chan, the founder of Yang Style Tai Chi, on the trials he goes through in order to study Chen Style Tai Chi, his encounter with the Manchurian royalty as well as his matches against the legendary Dong Hai Chuan. Yuen Wo Ping and Chueng Sing Yim direct this TV series of incredible martial arts sequences that comprises of multitudes of wushu stars like Yu Hai, Wang Qun, Billy Chow, Kara Hui, Xu Xiang Dong, Tan Qiao, Kou Zhan Wen...

The DVD is now available at YesAsia.

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.