My Kingdom (da wu sheng)

[GeneChing]

Andre Morgan, Sammo Hung Ready 'My Kingdom'
7:38 PM 12/5/2010 by Jonathan Landreth

1920s Martial Arts Film Set, Shooting in Shanghai

BEIJING -- Hollywood and Hong Kong veterans Andre Morgan and Sammo Hung have begun production in Shanghai on the 1920s martial arts film My Kingdom starring Taiwan-based actor-singer Wu Chun (14 Blades), Taiwan starlet Barbie Hsu (Reign of Assassins) and Chinese pop music sensation Han Geng in his film debut.

Called Da Wu Sheng in Chinese, the tale of two brothers' quest for fame, love and revenge in the heyday of Shanghai opera is a "multi-million dollar" co-production between Hong Kong-based Celestial Pictures and Beijing-based Skyland Films with DW films, Celestial said in a statement on Monday.

Directed by Gao Xiaosong and written by Zou Jingzhi (Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles), My Kingdom is set for release in the second half of 2011.

Los Angeles-based producer Morgan last worked with Celestial on director Peter Chan's award-winning Chinese musical drama, which they followed up with The Warlords, a critical and commercial success and winner of the Best Picture prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2008.

"We are thrilled to be collaborating again with the creative talents of producer Andre Morgan on a movie which blends the best of martial arts action with an intense love story," said Ross Pollack, CEO of Celestial, holder of all rights to the film outside China.

Skyland will handle sales and marketing in China, where 2010 box office is expected to shatter last year's record gross of $909 million.

Brunei-born actor-singer Wu rose to fame in Taiwan as a member of the boy band Fahrenheit, while Han Geng is an original member of South Korean pop group Super Junior. Hsu is well known for her roles in films from John Woo and Benny Chan.

Morgan said My Kingdom had come together after four years of efforts to assemble he script, creative elements, cast and "appropriate financing."

"We are excited to finally bring this very fresh story to Chinese audiences," he said.

Hung, recent winner of a Golden Horse Award in Taiwan for his action choreography of Ip Man 2, will stage and direct the action scenes in My Kingdom. Hung trained the actors for three months to prepare them for intense martial arts sequences.

In November, at the American Film Market in Santa Monica, Celestial, which is owned by Astro All Asia Networks of Malaysia, pre-sold My Kingdom to Golden Scene Cinemas in Malaysia.

Peter Poon, Celestial's svp for theatrical distribution, said the company is close to striking distribution deals in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Indonesia.

Celestial is the operator of global tevision channels and owner of the 760-title Shaw Brothers Film Library of Chinese films.

This could almost go in the Chollywood Rising thread.

[GeneChing]

I'm not sure My Kingdom is the best translation of 大武生. It's more like great warrior life.

My Kingdom comes to Celestial

By Patrick Frater

Mon, 06 December 2010, 09:05 AM (HKT)
Production News

Hong Kong-based Celestial Pictures (天映娛樂有限公司) has begun production of its first feature film. The move ends years of false starts and missed deadlines.

Filming is now underway in Shanghai on My Kingdom (大武生), a RMB70 million ($10.5 million) martial arts epic under the direction of Gao Xiaosong (高曉松).

The 1920s story is set in the world of Chinese opera and sees two brothers in a quest for fame, love and revenge. It stars Wu Chun (吳尊) and Mainland pop star Han Geng (韓庚) making his feature film debut, with Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛) as the love interest.

Action choreography is provided by Sammo Hung (洪金寶), veteran of hundreds of Hong Kong and Hollywood action classics.

The picture is a co-production between Celestial, Skyland Films (Beijing) (星空大地 [北京]) and production company DW Films Limited with veteran Andre Morgan as producer.

Celestial will handle sales outside China and has already licensed the picture to Golden Screen Cinemas for Malaysia.

"My Kingdom started with an amazing script and a unique vision from director Gao which is, frankly, a breath of fresh air. With Sammo's involvement and three of the hottest young stars in Asia, we are confident this will be an amazing film, further adding to our vast library of Chinese cinematic gems." said Ross Pollack, Celestial's CEO.

"After spending the past four years to assemble the script, creative elements, the best cast, and appropriate financing, we are excited to finally bring this very fresh story to Chinese audiences." said Morgan. Delivery is set for the second half of 2011.

Celestial, which is owned by Malaysia's Astro All Asia group, began in the middle of the decade by acquiring and restoring much of the 760-title Shaw Bros (邵氏) film library. Since then it has launched three TV channels and licensed the movies to TV and home entertainment platforms around the world, but its attempts to refresh the library by moving into production have been largely abortive. (In 2006 it was a minority co-producer on Peter Chan's 陳可辛 Perhaps Love 如果・愛, which Morgan also produced.)

Under the management of Pollack since September last year, the company began gearing up for production with the early 2010 hiring of Peter Poon (潘大年) as senior vice president, theatrical distribution and film-maker Rosa Li (李嘉繪) as creative executive. In April it signed director Teddy Chen (陳德森) to direct two feature films. He will direct and produce the two movies through his Sum-Wood Productions (三木製作) company. The first is expected to be a remake of a Shaw Bros title, while the second project will be a modern action film inspired by current events.

My Kingdom is not a Shaw Bros adaptation, but is an original screenplay by Zou Jingzhi (鄒靜之, Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles 千里走單騎, Phone Number 601 第601個電話).

Separately, Shaw Bros has also recently returned to production and has worked with local broadcaster TVB (香港電視廣播有限公司) on films including Perfect Wedding (完美嫁衣) and Turning Point (Laughing Gor之變節).

[GeneChing]

This article uses the same pub pic as the one above. That's Barbie.

Barbie Hsu Joins My Kingdom
CRI, December 9, 2010

Newlywed actress Barbie Hsu has chosen her acting job over honeymoon and joined the set of the action film "My Kingdom" ("Da Wu Sheng") in Shanghai, Web site 163.com reports.

Hsu registered to marry wealthy restaurateur Wang Xiaofei on November 16 in Beijing, surprising celebrity gossip watchers as she only met Wang two months earlier.

In "My Kingdom", Hsu joins Wu Chun ("14 Blades") and Han Geng for a 1920s tale of two brothers' quest for fame, love and revenge.

The film will be the screen debut for pop star Han Geng, the former backbone of the boy band Super Junior.

Musician-turned-filmmaker Gao Xiaosong is directing the film, with kung-fu veteran Sammo Hung choreographing the action scenes.

The story was penned by Zou Jingzhi, who also did Zhang Yimou's "Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles" ("Qian Li Zou Dan Ji").

Hollywood veteran Andre Morgan, who is producing the film, told "The Hollywood Reporter" that the project had come together after four years of preparation.

"We are excited to finally bring this very fresh story to Chinese audiences," Morgan was quoted as saying.

The film is slated for release in the summer of 2011.

Barbie Sue sounds like a trailer trash name.

[PalmStriker]

Ha! Good thing it's not spelled the same! She's a babe!

[GeneChing]

In the wake of Karate Kid, the Hollywood/Chollywood co-ops are interesting to both industries. I wonder if this will get U.S. distribution.

Posted: Wed., Dec. 15, 2010, 2:00am PT
Morgan, Hung create 'Kingdom'
Gao Xiaosong helming $70 mil chopsocky pic
By Clifford Coonan

SHANGHAI -- Hong Kong action director Sammo Hung and Los Angeles-based producer Andre Morgan are collaborating on $70 million chopsocky pic "My Kingdom" (Da wu sheng) in Shanghai.

Helmed by Gao Xiaosong, pic stars Taiwan's Wu Chun ("14 Blades") and Barbie Hsu ("Reign of Assassins"), while Chinese pop star Han Geng makes his screen bow. It is set for release in the second half of 2011.

Pic is co-produced by Hong Kong-based Celestial Films and Beijing's Skyland Films with DW Films.

Hung will coordinate the action and has spent months gearing the actors up for some intense chopsocky.

Pic is a tale of two brothers' quest for fame, love and revenge against the backdrop of the Chinese opera biz during its 1920s heyday.

"The budget is $68 million to $70 million, and my anticipated B.O. will be no less than $120 million," said Morgan, who last worked with Celestial on Peter Chan's musical "Perhaps Love" and "The Warlords." Both pics were major successes.

"I've been in China for more than 10 years and I have observed the growing market here in person," Morgan said. "I cooperated with a lot of young directors in Hong Kong, and now it is the time to work with young talented directors on the mainland."

Celestial signed a deal with Golden Screen Cinemas for the Malaysian market at the American Film Market in November. Skyland will handle sales and marketing in China.

[GeneChing]

My Kingdom Trailer 2011 (大武生)

[GeneChing]

Too commercial for the arthouse disciples. Gotta luv that.

My Kingdom: Film Review
12:23 PM PDT 8/25/2011 by Maggie Lee

My Kingdom
The Bottom Line
Solid fighting vies with sensationalist plotting in this uneven period action drama.

Director
Gao Xiaosong

Screenwriters
Gao Xiaosong Zou Jingzhi

Cast
Wu Chun, Han Kyung, Barbie Hsu

1920s martial arts drama set in the world of Peking opera has enough revenge, betrayal, taboo love and corruption to fill a dozen traditional repertoires.

“Operatic” is the very word for describing Gao Xiaosong’s My Kingdom, a 1920s martial arts drama about the deadly rivalries between “wusheng” (male warrior roles in Peking opera). Splendidly shot and styled to recreate the gilded existence of pre-World War II Shanghai, the film is bookended by duels choreographed with balletic grace by Sammo Hung. In between is an overlong potboiler plot entwined in more revenge, betrayal, taboo love and corruption to fill a dozen traditional repertoires.

Despite its shared background with Chen Kaige’s Farewell My Concubine and Forever Enthralled, Chen’s arthouse disciples will find My Kingdom too commercial. A popular audience may be less averse to the lurid material, cosmetically improved by fine art direction.

My Kingdom follows the rise-and-fall-out of Yi-long (Wu Chun) and Er-kui (Han Kyung), two wusheng novices raised like brothers who go to Shanghai to avenge their master Yu’s (Yuan Biao) humiliating defeat by rival Yue (Yu Rongguang). Before they leave, Yu lectures them on the three taboos of their profession. Of course, they proceed to break each of them, especially when they meet Mulan (Barbie Hsu), Yue’s alluring disciple-lover.

The first half hour is tightly narrated and packed with elegant traditional one-to-one sparring. It peaks with Yi-long and Er-kui challenging Yue to a spear fight on stage that deploys the entire opera troupe. Kwong Ting Wo’s and Lam Wah Chuen’s lush cinematography makes deft use of top shots to foreground the beautiful symmetry of acrobatic movements and bright costumes representative of Peking opera.

However, the screenplay by Zou Jingzhi and Gao loses credibility as three more revenge plots kick in, veering more and more off course from the initial theme of how fraternity is tested by ambition. The momentum of earlier martial arts scenes does not return till near the end, with a smashing swordfight between Er-kui and Mulan in a wine cellar, where bottles and barrels are used imaginatively as props.

Sumptuously clothed in vintage fashion, pop idols Wu and Hsu may bring in a younger crowd otherwise indifferent to the dated subject, but their performances are unimpressive. Hsu, who made her ruthlessness seems sexy in Reign of Assassin, fails to generate similar charisma.

Opens: September 9 (China Lion)
Production companies: DW Films Limited, Celestial Pictures Limited
Cast: Wu Chun, Han Kyung, Barbie Hsu, Liu Qian, Yuan Biao, Yu Rongguang
Director: Gao Xiaosong
Screenwriters: Gao Xiaosong Zou Jingzhi
Producers: Andre Morgan, Zoe Chen
Director of photography: Kwong Ting Wo, LamWah Chuen
Production designer: Yang Yaoyu
Music: Joachim Horsley
Costume designer: Gino Xie
Editor: Christopher Blunden
Sales: Celestial Pictures Limited
No rating, 97 minutes

[GeneChing]

... only in Asia tho.

Movie review : My Kingdom (PG, 99min) 2.5 stars out of 5
No glory for this Kingdom
by Genevieve Loh
04:45 AM Sep 07, 2011

Directed by Gao Xiaosong and choreographed by Sammo Hung, this 1920s martial arts drama about the intricate world of traditional Beijing Opera has all the ingredients to be a hit. It boasts veteran actors Yuen Biao and Yu Rong Guang, while enticing the young regional market with Fahrenheit's Wu Chun and erstwhile Super Junior member Han Geng as the two young leads, and Barbie Hsu (aka Da S) as the rose amongst the thorns. Yet, it falls from a strong start to a starkly whimpering finish.

With enough revenge, betrayal, lust, corruption, deceit and secrets to fuel any daytime soap opera for decades, My Kingdom revolves around the fierce rivalries over obtaining the title of "Da Wu Sheng", the most powerful performer of a "warrior" role in Beijing Opera. Following the tragic lives of opera star Master Yu's (Yuen Biao) orphan disciples - Guan Yi Long (Wu Chun) and Er Kui (Han Geng) - the sworn brothers head to Shanghai to avenge their master's defeat by archrival Master Yue (Yu Rong Guang). But they start breaking all the taboos of their profession, especially after meeting Mu Lan (Barbie Hsu).

The opera set pieces are arresting, thanks to Hung's masterful choreography, the performers' commitment to traditional "wu sheng" roles and intricate costumes.

Yet when it comes to the actual acting, the film fails. Perhaps the popular idols were overwhelmed by the convoluted plot - they were able only to produce a meandering performance thanks to the weak script. Perhaps casting the two young entertainers as headliners was a mistake, especially with their inability to act beyond brooding stares and meaningful grimaces, although credit must be given for the twosome's sincere effort in executing all those difficult acrobatics and complicated moves. It's a shame, really. GENEVIEVE LOH

[GeneChing]

This begins with a duel between two of the greats: Yuan Biao (Jackie's little bro) and Yu Rongguang (villain in New Karate Kid et.al.) choreographed by Sammo. Sammo's work here is very comic book - lots of over-the-top wire work to comic book hero effect ala Corey Yuan. The film ends with a sword fight - Barbie Hsu (a southpaw) in her negligee in a wine cellar. There's a decent plot (wait...plot muddling a martial arts flick?) and a lot of references to Chinese opera (mostly Monkey King and Farewell My Concubine). There's a lot of sumptuous costumes and sets - you can see where the astronomical (for Chollywood) $120 million budget went.

But it fails. Yuan and Yu drop out of the story too soon and the baby-faced teen idols that take over the lead roles are way to emo. Director Gao Xiaosong just won a Broom Award (China's Razzie). It's very disappointing as it had so many elements going for it - story, costume, sets, some amusing fights - but the leads were so wooden - too wooden even for a kung fu movie, if you can believe that.