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 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"

-- Legend of Chen Zhen --
On December 20, the press got to visit the set of Legend of Chen Zhen, and witnessed the filming of a scene where Donnie Yen, having just returned from abroad, is playing the piano with aplomb at Hundred Joys, sweeping girls off their feet.

 

Donnie Yen, who, in a way, came from a family of musicians in which his mother, who apart from teaching martial arts in Boston, is a soprano and father a violinist, picked up the piano while very young. He was last seen on the piano in Love on The Rocks, and gets to flaunt his piano virtuosity again in Legend of Chen Zhen.

Continue reading "The Legend of Westernised Chen Zhen, The Piano Virtuoso"

-- Legend of Chen Zhen --
Production on 《精武风云》 Legend of Chen Zhen has begun in Shanghai on November 15, amidst a press conference attended by Beijing Enlight's Wang Chang Tian, Zhang Zhao, Media Asia's Peter Lam, producer Gordon Chan, director Andrew Lau and the cast Donnie Yen, Huang Bo, Huo Si Yan, Shu Qi, Zhou Yang.
 
Donnie Yen, who is especially ardent about the project, plays the folk superhero Chen Zhen who returns to Shanghai and soon discovers a conspiracy between the local mafia and Japanese, "I have played Chen Zhen on Fist of Fury TV series 15 years ago, so I'm particularly ambitious about this role. In terms of action, I have confidence of presenting a whole new Chen Zhen. I hope this will engender another wave of wushu trend, and hope for this to become a classic."

 

Zhou Yang and Shu Qi will vie against each other for Donnie Yen's affection. They are both willing to brave any dangers for Donnie Yen. Huang Bo will play an underdog, while Anthony Wong a mafia boss.

Andrew Lau describes the main character as a superhero, one who is not only a master of martial arts, but will transform himself, taking up the onus of saving the entire city. And it will combine Donnie Yen style kungfu with special effects to create a superhero film. Gordon Chan says that this is not a remake, but a reinvention of the fictitious character.

 

Filming wraps up by early March 2009 for a release on around China National Day on October 1.  Sina

Press conference video: A, B, C

-- Legend of Chen Zhen --

Fist of Fury: The Legend of Chen Zhen is set 7 years after the reported death of Chen Zhen. He was showered with bullets following his vengeance on the Japanese at a dojo who are behind his mentor's death.

A mysterious, wealthy entrepreneur returns from abroad and makes a grand entrance on the Shanghai social scene by befriending a notorious mafia boss. This man is none other than Chen Zhen in disguise who dwells in a world of nefarious means in order to infiltrate the criminal empire. He soon discovers a clandestine collusion between the mafia and the Japanese.

Under the guise as a caped crusader at night, Chen Zhen sets out to dismantle with his martial arts skill the evil collusion that is plaguing the country. One of his foremost missions is to ferret out the assassination list prepared by the Japanese...

 

The Legend of Chen Zhen, produced by Gordon Chan, directed by Andrew Lau, starring Donnie Yen, Anthony Wong, Shu Qi, is beginning production soon. Donnie Yen will also be serving as the martial arts director.

On June 11 afternoon, Beijing Enlight Pictures held a press conference to announce its 8 upcoming/ongoing/future projects/co-productions between 2009 to 2010. Liu Yi Wei and Liu Yan hosted the event that was attended by Enlight's chairman Wang Zhang Tian and president Zhang Zhao, and their collaborators producer Raymond Wong, directors Gordon Chan, Andrew Lau, etc, as well as comics creator Tony Wong Yuk Long.

Continue reading "Beijing Enlight Pictures Announces Eight Upcoming Projects"

Wilson Yip will be directing A Chinese Ghost Story next year. Nope, Donnie Yen won't be in this but there are other versions of Dark Tales that hope to cast him. Continue reading "Wanted: Donnie Yen"

-- Ip Man 2 --
 At Ip Man pre-production press conference held on March 31, it's announced that Ip Man 2 would commence filming officially in August 2009. Producer Raymond Wong and director Wilson Yip express confidence for the sequel which has a bigger budget - 100m yuan, saying that the sequel will be even more exciting. Continue reading "Sammo Hung Steps in Front of the Silver Screen To Challenge Donnie Yen in Ip Man 2"

-- "Chen Zhen" --

Beijing Enlight Pictures held a press conference yesterday, announcing its plan to produce/co-produce/distribute 30 films in the next three years. Gordon Chan, Kirk Wong, Joe Ma, Dante Lam, Lee Chi Ngai have all signed collaboration deals with it.

Gordon Chan's first deal with Beijing Enlight Pictures is "Chen Zhen" which is still in scripting stage. He'll be working on it in full force after completing another film in Japan. Donnie Yen has already verbally agreed to play the eponymous character. Gordon Chan says that this is a very difficult subject since stories concerning Chen Zhen have been adapted countless times, including Fist of Legend that Gordon Chan directed in 1995. However, as one with keen interests on Chen Zhen, he has confidence of creating something different. He says that "Chen Zhen" is tailor made for Donnie Yen and hopes to begin production at the end of this year.

Kirk Wong would be working with Beijing Enlight Pictures on Five Venoms remake, possibly with Jay Chou and Wong Lee Hom in the leads. Other films in the works include Flowers of Apocynum, Codex of Weapons, Chinese Warriors, Special Task Force, etc (all tentative titles).

Since Confession of Pain, Beijing Enlight has been involved in producing/distributing Wonder Woman, Flash Point and Triangle. The movies they are distributing this year include Tsui Hark's Missing aka The Eye 3 (May), Jeffrey Lau's Fantastic Water Babes with Gillian Chung, Eva Huang Shengyi, Charlene Choi, Alex Fong, Stephen Fung, Tian Liang (July).  Beijing Morning Post, Beijing Times | Video: Sohu

 -- New Fist of Fury --
 Gordon Chan will be directing a remake of Fist of Fury, with Donnie Yen being invited to star as Chen Zhen, and Zhang Ziyi as the female lead though the latter is unlikely to be in the project due to other commitments. The script is still being written and the movie is expected to begin filming in mid 2007. According to Gordon Chan, Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury (1972) was a classic in Chinese film history, but that version put too much weight on revenge. So, when he made Fist of Legend in 1994, he didn't create a film that was about an all-out reprisal, but one that sought to find out the truth, and he did not paint a bad picture of all Japanese. This time around, Gordon Chan wishes to create new perspectives and views. In New Fist of Fury, Gordon Chan would retain the background and characters of the original, and using the art of combat as a springboard, he would highlight folk spirit and loyalty vs filial piety, and it would be more epic than the previous two films.  United News Daily

-- Donnie Yen's Upcoming Works --

Donnie Yen's management reveals that there are six potential movie deals being extended to Donnie Yen, namely 《李小龙传》 Legend of Bruce Lee, Gordon Chan's 《陈真》 "Chen Zhen"/New Fist of Fury, Tsui Hark's adaptation of 《原震侠》 The Legendary Ranger, 《成吉思汗》 Genghis Khan, an untitled period martial arts movie by Wilson Yip, and an unnamed project. 

 

Given their fruitful and happy collaboration, Wilson Yip has expressed his interest in casting Donnie Yen as the lead again in his next project upon completion of A City With No Mercy. The Legendary Ranger, which will be shot in Japan, and New Fist of Fury are bent on getting Donnie Yen aboard.

 

The producer of Legend of Bruce Lee has been in touch with Donnie Yen since last year, and had, on various occasion, declared that Donnie Yen is the most ideal choice to play Bruce Lee, given their similar backgrounds: both emigrated to USA and were trained in martial arts since young, and grew up in Chinatown. Donnie Yen, who regards Bruce Lee as his idol, says that Bruce Lee is the idol of millions of people, so, he has to give serious consideration over it.  Sina