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Gordon Chan has been in the industry for some decades, starting at the Shaw Brothers as a special effect assistant and later writing scripts for Tsui Hark, John Woo and the likes in the Film Workshop. Writing has always been an important part in his professional life as he wrote all his films and helped out a lot of filmmakers to shape engaging stories.
 
In addition to scriptwriting, Chan directed all kinds of movies from light social comedies like Heart to Hearts to nonsensical laugh-out-loud comedies such as the Fight Back To School series, King of Beggars, to police dramas and action flicks with Final Option, to kung fu films with Fist of Legend, to modern wuxia pian like Painted Skin or straight Jackie Chan’s flicks with Thunderbolt or The Medallion. HK Cinemagic >>More<<

 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"

Light-Transcending Pandora's Box is currently undergoing production in Guangzhou (video) and, despite some similarities, director Jeffrey Lau clarifies that he won't repeat what he has done previously: Light-Transcending Pandora's Box is a completely different story from Chinese Odyssey.

 

In fact, it's closer to Eagle Shooting Hero in that it's a laugh-out-loud nonsensical comedy throughout the entire film, with romance being sidelined. Light-Transcending Pandora's Box is a burlesque on Red Cliff, much as what Eagle Shooting Hero is to the original Jin Yong novel.

Continue reading "Light-transcending Pandora's Box: Jeffrey Lau Calls Forth Other Film Characters"

 On 11 June afternoon, press conference for Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame was held in Hengdian. Tsui Hark worked through the night to rush out a teaser trailer, which does anything but teases. It shows nothing more than a brooding atmosphere, with barely anyone in sight. To quote Tsui Hark, "Kept under wraps." Continue reading "Detective Dee Press Conference in Hengdian"

-- Detective Dee --

Based on the concept art, as well as confirmation from the crew, Tsui Hark is going for something very epic with Detective Dee and the Mystery of Phantom Flame.

Over the past few weeks since production began, Tsui Hark has been working day and night, having barely 2 hours of sleep each day, and sometimes, he would even go without sleep for three days and three nights consecutively. With dark circles forming under his eyes as a result, Tsui Hark even earned himself the nickname pandaman.  And the production could hardly keep up with him. Andy Lau and Li Bing Bing are so worn out that they took a break from filming.  Sina

 

 

Continue reading "Detective Dee Concept Art"

-- Detective Dee --

Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame, directed by Tsui Hark, has been filming intensively Hengdian for three weeks, with the production often working into the wee hours. The cast includes Andy Lau, Carina Lau, Li Bing Bing and Deng Chao.

Each of the principal cast has at least three outfits. Aiming to create the most charming Di Ren Jie yet, as opposed to the portly figure historically, Tsui Hark has Andy Lau sporting a goatee and wearing a headdress. Andy Lau also has other outfits like nocturnal clothing, and something that looks like rags. Li Bing Bing would cross-dress for the most part, and in one outfit, carries a murderous and terrifying appearance, and she would be competing and fighting against Andy Lau again in their 2nd collaboration.

Andy Lau, who is working with Tsui Hark for the first time, is full of enthusiasm for the film, saying that Di Ren Jie is has a very charming personality, and that this will be one of his finest works yet.

Sammo Hung praises Andy Lau for his professionalism, saying that he's strives very hard in action scenes, and with his experiences and talent, fights pretty well. And he would not use any doubles, one of whom bears striking resemblance, for any action that he is able to handle himself. Sammo Hung adds that while the action scenes are poetic in nature, the actual fights are still on the realistic side, for he doesn't like flowery action.

-- Detective Dee --
Apart from Andy Lau who has long been attached to this production, Carina Lau, Li Bing Bing, Tony Leung Kar Fai, Lau Ching Wan are also joining Detective Dee directed by Tsui Hark.

Andy Lau plays the eponymous magistrate Di Ren Jie who's tasked by Empress Wu Zetian to look into a series of enigmatic deaths of court officials in this period suspense mystery set in Tang dynasty.

Continue reading "Detective Dee Cast Announced"

-- Forbidden City Cop: Smart Dog --
In Forbidden City Cop: Smart Dog, Louis Koo's character, Imperial Guard "Dog", will be somewhat similar to Stephen Chow in the original, where he's more into cranky inventions than martial arts and believes that technology will overcome latter. However, his outlandish contraptions never seem to work and he's often snided by the other Imperial Guards. Continue reading "Quick Look at the Various Roles In Forbidden City Cop: Smart Dog"

-- Coweb --

Coweb, directed by Xiong Xin Xin, has completed post-production recently and just been approved by Mainland censors. The martial arts film, starring Jiang Lu Xia, Sam Lee, Kane Kosugi, Cheung Siu Fai and Mike Moller, hits the theatres in May.

Jiang Lu Xia, a martial artist who rises to fame on the web through a series of shorts, plays a wushu coach who gets embroiled in fights against scores of opponents in a bid to save her kidnapped employer in Hong Kong. These fights are broadcast live on the internet with high stakes being placed illegally on the outcome.

Continue reading "Entangling Xiong Xin Xin in Coweb This May"

Champions, directed by Tsui Siu Ming, starring Dicky Cheung, Xie Miao, Xu Xiang Dong, Yu Rongguang, Debbie Goh, Priscilla Wong, will be out on DVD on January 22. The movie, about a group of athletes aspiring to participate in the Olympic Games, features various forms of martial arts such as Praying Mantis, Eagle Claw and Tai Chi. Two editions are available for pre-order at YesAsia - 2-disc edition and 2-disc + Soundtrack CD edition, both containing extras like making-of, trailer, promos, etc.

All About Women, a romantic comedy by Tsui Hark, starring Zhou Xun, Zhang Yu Qi, Guey Lun Mei, Alex Fong Chung Sun, Stephen Fung arrives on DVD on January 20. The film revolves around the roller coaster romantic adventures of three women bumbling through love and life. Pre-order at YesAsia.

Wushu - The Young Generation, a coming-of-age wushu movie produced by Jackie Chan and directed by Antony Szeto, starring newcomers like Wang Wen Jie, Liu Feng Chao, Mao Jun Jie, etc, with Sammo Hung lending his support to help groom the next generation, is expected to be out on DVD on January 30. Wushu tells the tale of five friends immersing their lives in learning the disciplines of martial arts with no other thought but to excel. More information on YesAsia.

-- Detective Dee --

Tsui Hark will direct period martial arts suspense thriller Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame in Hong Kong, Beijing, Hangzhou and Henan beginning in May 2009, with proposed release in summer 2010.

With a $13 million budget, a script by Chen Kuofu and production by Chen Kuofu, Tsui Hark's wife and partner Nansun Shi and Peggy Lee, Tsui Hark and Huayi Brothers will bring to life an imagined case solved by a real Tang Dynasty detective Di Ren Jie, to be played by Andy Lau.

When the mysterious deaths of a series of loyal subjects threaten to delay the 690 A.D. inauguration of Empress Wu Zetian, China's only female leader, she summons the infamous Detective Dee back from an exile into which she cast him eight years earlier.

"They had such an interesting relationship of hatred, love and passion," said Tsui Hark, who is focused on finding the perfect empress to play opposite Andy Lau. "She was the sole one, the first and last empress in China, who claimed to be very iron-fisted, using all these cruel methods in handling her politics. At the same time she was very smart, using all the intelligent people she selected for her cabinet."

Detective Dee accepts the challenge and partners with gung-ho Commander Bei and the Ghost Doctor, a master of disguise, to solve the crimes. Tsui Hark has not yet chosen actors to play the rest of the historical figures.  The Hollywood Reporter

-- Chasing Shadow -

Chasing Shadow, a wuxia movie co-directed by Francis Ng and Marco Mak, produced by Huayi Brothers, starring Francis Ng, Pace Wu, Jaycee Chan, began production without much fanfare in early December 2008. Ma Yuk Sing provides the action choreography while the screenplay was written by Chinese film critic Wei Jun Zi.

Continue reading "Francis Ng Starts Chasing Shadows"