Into The Badlands

Martial Media, Culture and Other Arts Martial Media and Popular Culture
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Tau: Are there any upcoming projects that you can talk about, maybe in film?

Wu: I have a movie called Geostorm coming out in October, which stars Gerard Butler, Jim Sturgess, Andy Garcia, Abbie Cornish. It’s set in the near future where a satellite system controls the world’s weather patterns so there are no more natural disasters. As the movie starts, a natural disaster starts happening so there is a glitch in the system – and my character works for the company that designed the system and I figure out what the problem is and that someone has been messing with it. Right now I am also in the middle of filming Tomb Raider.

Tau: Oh yeah, I think I read that somewhere – the reboot starring Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft?

Wu: Yeah, she’s the lead. It’s a reboot based off of the game reboot that was like 2013, the origin story of Lara Croft. I play a ship captain that helps her get her on the journey and help her along the way.

Tau: I have to also commend you on your performance in Go Away Mr. Tumor. I saw that on a flight to Taiwan and was very impressed by your performance – it was very moving, a very sad movie but it had its humorous parts. I think it did really well in the Chinese/Asia box office.

Wu: It broke some records, it did really well. It was a cool movie because we didn’t think it would be that huge and everyone believed in it. And it’s based on a true story that actually happened.

Tau: Right, that comic book artist?

Wu: Yeah she was a manga blogger. And she then started thinking about her situation with this rare form of brain cancer that she had, and she passed away. But like in the movie, she was just really optimistic and positive all the way through. And that was a really good example – because months before I did that movie, my Mom passed away from cancer. Which was a terrible experience for me – and to read that script and to see that perspective on cancer was kind of refreshing, and made me feel better about my Mom’s situation. That’s why I wanted to do the movie. And to get the kind of box office success it got was nice, and a grateful reward.

Tau: It was really a great film. Are you collaborating on any future Hong Kong projects with Stephen Fung?

Wu: We’re in talks on a few things right now, haven’t decided on anything yet. I have a break between Tomb Raider and Badlands but I’m not sure if I want to be working, because I’ve been working non-stop since July. If I don’t [take a break] that means I’ll go a year and a half without stopping, and I kind of need a break.

Tau: Certainly! Did Stephen also work on Into The Badlands?

Wu: Yeah, Stephen was on it this year. He wasn’t the fight director all the way through. He actually directed two episodes. Episodes 7 and 8 – he directed the drama – they are drama episodes. So 7 and 8 are his, and he did the fight direction for 9 and 10. And he also has a movie that he shot right before Badlands, that’s coming out soon, next year actually, starring Andy Lau and Jean Reno and Shu Qi, called “The Adventurers” but not sure what the English name is. But that is coming out and he is working on the post for it now. But he has been quite busy as well.

Tau: And did I hear you are working on something else TV-wise? Or is Badlands taking up most of your time?

Wu: Nah, I think Badlands consumes a lot of energy.

Tau: Are there any plans to do any film versions of Badlands? It might be rare since TV is where it might be “at” now.

Wu: Not at the moment. We are trying to focus on the show and trying to make each episode better and better. And I also like this long format because going into the show I wasn’t sure what I felt about working on a long TV serial. Just because I’ve done movies my whole career and wasn’t sure if I would have the attention span for it. So I would not get bored with the character over time. But you know it changes so much, this season the journey for Sunny is so different than last season that it has kept me interested – and that’s what has kept me attracted to the project as a whole – because it is about a journey of transformation. We talk about the martial arts, the badassness and everything else, but it’s about this transformation for all the characters, and that includes Sunny. And that is really what is really keeping me interested. Because what Sunny is going through with now was very different from what he was dealing with last season. Other shows, especially like network shows, that go on for 30 episodes – the characters are the same every single episode – every single year, every single season – I don’t think I could do that. I need to be able to take the character somewhere. And the fact that these characters change after every fight that they’ve been in, especially this season, because Sunny sort of loses his mojo and has to get it back – and he’s fighting for a reason now, instead of just killing for his boss. It’s a different thing – you’ll see that Sunny looks different now when he fights than last season. I think last season, there was more of a balletic smoothness and coldness to the way he fought: like very little facial expression, but now Sunny is ****ing mad, right? So he is fighting with emotion this season.

Tau: I was wondering about the foundational martial art(s) underlying Sunny’s technique? Is it kung-fu based or a mix of different styles?

Wu: Yeah, my base is Wushu. So it will always fall back on that. We use techniques from all kinds of martial arts. Basically because we have to make it a lot of variety of fights, we have to be adaptable, so we try to incorporate all different types of techniques – so last season we did a little bit of Jiu Jitsu, this season there is some Krav Maga, even this season – you’ll see Sunny’s new sword – after Episode 3 he gets a new sword, it’s not a Chinese sword at all, it’s a completely weird, two-handed crazy sword, and so I have to fight differently because it is very different than any other type of Wushu weapon I have ever used. So that’s one thing, but [the sword] has some Chinese elements to it: it has got these rings on it, it’s got these nine rings on it. All the different props and weapons bring out different styles and types of fights.

Tau: Like that scene in the final episode of Season 1 with MMA Champion Cung Le.

Wu: Yeah, did you see him in Season 2 Episode 1? He made an appearance. There may be another fight with him coming up this Season.

Tau: Awesome. Are you interested in directing any future episodes yourself?

Wu: I thought about it but I don’t think I would be able to direct, act and fight at the same time. I would probably just kill myself doing that, and [keep wanting to do takes again and again by saying] “let me just go for one more take” [over and over again]. I just need someone to tell me to stop. If there was an episode which I wasn’t in, I might consider directing it but right now I have my hands full.

Tau: Did you guys shoot digitally?

Wu: Yeah, last season we shot on the RED, and this season we shot on the Arri Alexa.

Tau: So how many episodes are in store for Season 2?

Wu: There will be 10 episodes this season, versus just 6 in Season 1. 7 and 8 are Stephen’s. Episode 10 is my favorite, it pushes to that final crescendo at the end. Episode 10 is just an amazing episode. My second favorite episode is episode 7, I don’t like to give too many spoilers: it’s very existential – not within the tone of the show but still within parameters of the show.

I have more content coming on INTO THE BADLANDS (AMC provided me with a ton of access for this season) but I’m splitting it up across several articles. This Screen Anarchy interview is long enough that it covers many of the same talking points I am covering and will cover in the upcoming coverage. Yeah, got that covered. :wink:

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Our latest ezine offering

What makes the Badlands so badass? Read INTO THE BADLANDS: Fight Camp – The 1st Chamber of the Badlands by me.

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A couple of weeks ago, I purchased the season 1 DVD that was on sale. Admittedly, when it first premiered, I wasn’t overly impressed with the show, especially with some of the characters. I didn’t see much prospect for it to last. But it grew on me, and I really began to like it. I hope it continues as long as it can keep on developing in an interesting way. Also, I wanted to support the show in some way, however small.

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15 Reasons

15 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE WATCHING AMC’S INTO THE BADLANDS
04.13.2017
by Pete Morrison

Comic book fans will likely recognize the names Miles Millar and Alfred Gough from their roles as co-creators and executive producers on the the Superman television series, “Smallville.” The creative duo teamed up with producers Stacey Sher, Michael Shamberg, Stephen Fung and Daniel Wu to bring “Into the Badlands” one of the most interesting and entertaining martial arts series to television. Premiering on AMC in the winter of 2015, “Into the Badlands” brought a decidedly different take on the post-apocalyptic genre of storytelling.

The second season of the show, which will be 10 episodes, recently began airing in March and given that the first season is also available on Netflix, now is the perfect time to catch up with the series. To that end here are 15 reasons we think you should be watching “Into the Badlands.”

  1. REALISTIC GORE

Television shows have long sanitized the results of their violence for broadcast television. The birth of first cable and then streaming programming has allowed creators to portray a higher level of violence and gore in their shows. Often, since they can go further, they use gore that is gratuitous and unnecessary for the stories, devolving into being little more than torture porn. Not every show needs to be as bloody as “Dexter” or as violent as “Game of Thrones.” Even AMC’s flagship series “The Walking Dead” often goes above and beyond with the gore because they can get away with it based on the conflict between zombies and humans.

“Into the Badlands” presents a world full of melee weapons and a relative peace maintained by forces of warriors. By nature, this story is going to revolve heavily around the violence that results from the rival factions coming into conflict. There is plenty of blood in the series, but it is realistic in the depiction of damage that the weapons used could do. When the show lingers on a scene of blood and gore, it does so for a reason like with Veil’s parents in the episode “Fist Like a Bullet.”

  1. BEST FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY ON TV

If you are going to hang your hat on being a martial arts series, then you need to do it right. Bringing in Hong Kong film veterans like Stephen Fung to co-executive produce and Daniel Wu to produce and star in the series was a great start, but the real secret may be the addition of martial arts coordinator Huan-Chiu Ku. The crew under the leadership of Ku, who is nicknamed Master Didi takes a different approach to the series’ fight choreography, running two production teams simultaneously a “drama unit” and a “fight unit.” This two-track production approach allows the fight unit to spend up to eight days filming the fight sequences for each episode.

Ku has the actors learn and film the fight sequences in short segments of 10-12 moves, this allows them to not have to memorize long sequences that can feel over rehearsed. The result of this approach is an impressive level of explosive fight scenes throughout the series.

  1. SHORT FIRST SEASON

The first season aired in 2015 from November through December and yes that is not a typo. Season one consisted of only six episodes, which is short even for what fans have become accustomed to in this sort of limited series format. At under 45 minutes for each episode, that means you can catch up on season one in a pretty manageable four and a half hour binge session.

For fans who watched season one as it aired, this means that there was a really long wait for new episodes from December 2015 until March 2017, but for folks who are just now discovering the series, it is great news. With very little effort, you will be able to catch up on season one and the early episodes of season two before we reach the 10th and final episode of season two. If you did watch the first season before, this also lends the season to easy re-watching as a refresher before you start season two.

  1. DIVERSITY

Diversity is a hot topic in entertainment right now and “Into the Badlands” handles this issue deftly. Set at an unspecified point far in the future, the series features a diverse cast of actors and actresses. The young lead character M.K. is played by Aramis Knight who has a mixed ethnic heritage of German, East Indian and Pakistani, while the adult lead of Sunny is played by Daniel Wu who is Chinese-American. This diversity extends to the rest of the cast as the female doctor Veil (Madeleine Mantock), the River King (Lance E. Nichols) and the Baron Jacobee are all played by actors of color. Disability is also addressed with the wheelchair bound character of Waldo played by actor Stephen Lang.

Each barony features a mixtures of races and sexes, though the Widow’s features a much higher percentage of women. The show doesn’t spend a great deal of time dealing with the racial or ethnic diversity that it portrays on screen, but it does for story reasons address both gender and physical handicap rather explicitly. The show handles these issues in a way that doesn’t take you out of the story, it all seems to fit well within the universe of the show.

  1. LIVED IN UNIVERSE

Houses, cars, motorcycles and other technology has survived in the Badlands but the ability to advance and mass produce technological items seems to have been lost to the ages. From medicine to agriculture, even to societal structure, everything seems like a throwback to an earlier ages in world history. There remains bits and pieces of modern society that seem almost anachronistic in the world, from plastic chairs stacked in the background to Waldo’s tin of collectibles that includes a green plastic army man.

Weapons and possessions of the Barons seem very well maintained and cared for but there is very little in this world that feels new. A real-world parallel is old automobiles in Cuba and how they are kept in use. This approach to technology allows for a production design that makes a large portion of the Badlands world recognizable without having to spend narrative time explaining what and how certain things exist.

  1. THE PARADISE MYSTERY

There are two central and related mysteries in the series, the first comes in the form of the mysterious place known as Azra. A city or possibly a larger area that is rumored to exist outside of the Badlands, and is believed to be the home of M.K. and other people who possess special abilities. M.K.’s motivation in the first season is to escape the Badlands and find a way to get to a home he doesn’t really remember.

Three of the main characters in the series have an item with the shining city of Azra depicted on it, M.K., Sunny and the Widow. M.K. possesses a medallion with the image, Sunny a compass and the Widow a book. Whether this place really exists or if it is a mythological place akin to the lost kingdom of Atlantis is yet to be explained. The search for a way to Azra will likely be a plot point that continues through most of the series.

  1. THE SECRET POWER MYSTERY

The second major mystery is the exact nature and origin of M.K.’s special powers. When M.K. is cut deep enough to bleed, his eyes turn black and he loses control. He becomes a one-man wrecking crew possessing superhuman strength, agility and fighting skills. With seemingly no control over his actions and little memory of what happens after he is cut, the power is as much a mystery to M.K. as it is to those around him.

The transformation is only temporary, however, and eventually M.K. reverts back to normal, except that after each use, he is physically exhausted and weakened. The Widow hints at some knowledge of the power and as the first season goes on, we learn more and more about it. There is also Penrith played by Lance Henriksen: a religious leader unaligned with any Baron and the estranged father-in-law to the Baron Quinn. Penrith has some knowledge about these special powers but the extent of his knowledge is not revealed. The first season ends with a promise of more exploration of this power in season two.

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  1. SOAP OPERA WITH SWORDS

“Into the Badlands” balances the heavy doses of action with a large cast of characters arraigned in a complex web of relationships. Romantic entanglements are all over the place and characters have conflicting duties between what they may want and what they are duty bound to do on behalf of their Barons. There are also relationships and back channels between the Baron’s chief deputies, the Regents like Sunny and Zephyr who represent Quinn and Jacobee respectively.

In season one the biggest drama centers around Quinn, his two current wives Lydia and Jade and his son Ryder. To say the family dynamics here are complicated would be an understatement. Quinn is an unforgiving Baron who controls his territory through violence and fear. His relationship history with Lydia is long and complicated while his relationship with Jade is fresher and more invigorating. Ryder’s closeness to his mother and relationship with Jade further complicates everything and helps fuels one of the major plots of the first season. All of this relationship drama would fit right in on any daytime soap opera.

  1. LESS IS MORE WORLDBUILDING

Television shows often get in trouble when they attempt to create overly elaborate worlds. Worldbuilding that’s this elaborate takes lots of screen time and dialogue, expository and info dump after info dump gets in the way of both plot and character development in a show. This approach can also create a barrier of entry for viewers who don’t watch every episode but it can also fail with dedicated viewers when the show doesn’t pay off for some elements or simply ignores rules of the world that have been created.

The beauty of “Into the Badlands” is that it does enough world building to orient you, but doesn’t get bogged down in it. The opening narration to the series basically says it all: “The wars were so long ago nobody even remembers. Darkness and fear ruled until the time of the Barons, seven men and women who forged order out of chaos. People flocked to them for protection. That protection became servitude. They banished guns and trained armies of lethal fighters they called Clippers. This world is built on blood. Nobody is innocent here. Welcome to the Badlands.”

  1. FATE VERSUS CHOICE

We enter the Badlands very much in media res. Baron Quinn is thinking about the future of his rule, the Widow has deposed her husband and taken his place as a Baron, M.K. bursts onto the scene and an already volatile situation is ignited. There are undercurrents of shifting power in the Badlands as allegiances are up for grabs and a new generation is feeling ready to take more control.

One of the central themes that these conflicts explore is the idea of fate versus choice, do you have control over your own destiny or are you a slave to it. In their own ways, almost every character in the series has to wrestle with this question. Tilda has to wrestle with her duty to her mother versus her feelings for a new acquaintance. Ryder needs to wrestle with his duty to his father versus his hunger for power. But the clearest example is Sunny and whether his role as Regent is all he is ever fated to be or can he have more can he have his own free life.

  1. MENTOR-PROTEGE RELATIONSHIP

The Barons enforce their rule through the power of their Clippers, a class of warriors trained in both fighting and loyalty from youth. These Clippers begin as Colts, the Colts are the young initiates who the Barons select to begin the training. A Colt is taken by a Clipper as an apprentice to be given individual training outside of the group training that occurs.

When Sunny discovers the unusual powers that M.K. possesses, he takes him as his Colt, a move that is unusual for Sunny and raises the attention of Baron Quinn. The relationship between Sunny and M.K. is one that builds throughout the season, Sunny is conflicted between his duties to the Baron and to his protege, while M.K. unsure of how much he can trust his new mentor. Both characters have something they need from the other, but are slow to trust in a relationship. This dynamic is really the heart of the show’s first season.

  1. STRONG CORE CAST

Season one introduces us to a large cast of characters such as Sunny (Daniel Wu), M.K. (Aramis Knight), Quinn (Marton Csokas), Ryder (Oliver Stark), Lydia (Orla Brady), Jade (Sarah Bolger), the Widow (Emily Beecham), her daughter Tilda (Ally Ioannides), and Veil (Madeleine Mantock). We also get a bunch of very interesting secondary characters such as Penrith (Lance Henriksen), Waldo (Stephen Lang) and Zephyr (Ellen Hollman) who help populate the world. In the second season, actor Nick Frost is introduced as Bajie and is a welcome addition to the cast.

The performances are strong across the board, but Beecham and Ioannides in particular as the Widow and Tilda deliver tremendous performances. The Widow possesses a history that is hinted at and a fighting skill that rivals Sunny, Beecham plays her as cunning and ruthless. Tilda is extremely capable but not as scarred as her mother, Ioannides players her in a way that shows some trace of innocence remains within this fierce killer. Both ladies deliver in the drama and action departments and serve as a great counterpoint to the work of Wu and Knight.

  1. NO ONE IS A PURE HERO

In a world as harsh as the Badlands, it seems nearly impossible for anyone to remain pure. The characters on the show are ones who inhabit a moral grey area simply as a necessary means of survival. Quinn rose up from a youth in the poppy fields, but now brutally enforces his rule, Sunny ritually tattoos himself after each kill and the Widow killed her own husband.

Even the characters who you think could or should be heroic commit morally questionable acts or have checkered pasts. Veil is a doctor and in a loving relationship with Sunny, but she is not above directly poisoning or at least suggesting the poisoning of people. M.K., the relative innocent youth at the center of the story, has killed and has willingly used his dark power even though he doesn’t fully control it and knows it can lead to horrible results. Everyone is enshrouded by the darkness of the Badlands and this makes for a very interesting storytelling.

  1. SWORDS AND MORE SWORDS AND NINJA STARS

The world of the Badlands sets up a reality where guns are no longer used. This absence of firearms allows for a return of weapons predominant in earlier eras of history, such as swords, axes, knives and throwing stars. The most common weapon among the elite classes are swords that feature unique designs applied to traditional styles of weapons.

The Widow wields a modified Chinese double jain, which is an ancient design featuring a double edged straight blade of around 30 in length. These swords are very lightweight and wielded with a one-handed technique, and can fit two swords in one scabbard. Tilda is most known for her modified throwing stars that are in the shape of a butterfly. These butterfly shuriken are perhaps the most beautiful weapons on the show. Sunny wields two swords in season one — a longer modified katana and a shorter modified wakizashi — and he can wield the long sword alone or both swords together when he is facing multiple opponents.

  1. DANIEL WU

Every show needs a star and even though “Into the Badlands” has a great cast of actors, it is indisputable that the star of the show is Daniel Wu. The California-born actor has parents who immigrated from Shanghai, China. He visited Hong Kong in 1997 and began modeling there, which led to acting and a career in the Chinese film industry.

While the majority of his career is outside of Hollywood, he did play Gul’dan in “Warcraft: The Beginning” and has a role in the forthcoming “Tomb Raider” reboot. For many fans, “Into the Badlands” will be their first exposure to Wu as an actor and it is easy to see why he is so popular overseas. He is a dynamic actor whose real martial arts skills shine through and has even earned him the respect and friendship of fellow martial arts star Jackie Chan. Daniel Wu possesses all the qualities to have a huge second act of his career in America.

I would add one more reason: Sword Hotties.

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ITB deserves an Emmy nod!

Into the Badlands Is the Most Stylish Show on TV Today, and It Deserves an Emmy Nod
By Jim Vorel | April 20, 2017 | 9:42am
Photos via AMC

If there’s a hierarchy of genres, in terms of which are allowed to receive some sort of critical accolade—especially in the form of a Primetime Emmy Award—then it’s safe to say that “martial arts” would have to occupy a spot at the very bottom of the totem pole. It’s difficult to imagine how transcendent a show involving hand-to-hand combat would have to be in order to be recognized for the sort of visual splendor that would garner an award in almost any drama or comedy. Even other “genre fare” gets more respect—recent years have been increasingly kind to science fiction, fantasy and even horror. But kung fu? Good luck getting a nomination for that, or even getting it on the air in the first place.

Look no further than AMC’s Into the Badlands. What we have here, as the show approaches the midpoint of its second season, is the most stylish, sumptuously designed TV show on cable today, but it’s received next to no critical attention for the aspects where it excels the most. From production design, to costuming, to choreography and stunts, the second season of Into the Badlands has already surpassed its first, bringing its audience a mythology-rich tribute to classic Hong Kong action cinema and wuxia films that is the closest thing we’ve ever seen on TV to a serialized version of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

I’m not here to make a case for the plot or storyline of Into the Badlands. It paints in broad, pulpy strokes, with faction vs. faction scheming and power plays that draw clear inspiration from the dueling houses in Game of Thrones. It lifts the tropes of classic Shaolin Temple films, full of students studying secret techniques and harnessing ancient, mystical forces to avenge slain family members. It gives us a cast of characters whose loyalties and rationalizations are in a constant, soap-operatic flux. Its morals are on the simple side. This isn’t a campaign to score the show a nomination for its writing.

But its visuals? Its costumes? And my god, its action sequences? There isn’t a show with better choreographed action and fight scenes on TV today. Honestly, I’m not sure there’s EVER been a show with better fight scenes on TV. Into the Badlands is delivering crackling, hyperkinetic, bloody sequences of flying fists, acrobatics and swordplay on a weekly basis that you typically can’t find outside of any given year’s top few Hong Kong action movies or wuxia epics. American audiences, starved of truly inspired action choreography on both the small and large screen, should consider Into the Badlands a gift from the heavens. Every cinephile who lavishes praise on the long takes and choreography of The Raid, or John Wick films? This is the TV show they need to be watching. Annoyed by the constant shaky-cam and schizophrenic cuts that have been canonized online by the likes of Liam Neeson jumping a fence? Into the Badlands is the panacea to that uninspired action malaise, because they went out and cast people who could actually physically perform. Imagine that!

But don’t just take my word for it. Here’s a fight scene from the show’s very first episode.

//youtu.be/8Qt3EZ19s_Y

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And here’s another one with incredible choreography and expressionistic lighting/color, which looks like it came out of a movie with a $200 million budget.

//youtu.be/wmpQALpFDBQ

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And, to drive the point home—and note that the series provides the best stunt roles and choreography on TV for women as well—here’s an action scene from the Season Two opener, starring Into the Badlands’ best character, The Widow (Emily Beecham).

//youtu.be/Yctd7NGv5ds

I ask you: On what other TV series airing right now can you see a female character pull off that kind of fight choreography? Or these kinds of stunts, with such visual panache? There’s nothing on this level in Jessica Jones or Agents of SHIELD, or in Marvel’s poorly received Iron Fist, a show that was literally supposed to be about a martial arts master. Game of Thrones has featured huge scale in its battles, but the choreography and stuntwork of individual fights in Into the Badlands is far more detailed and vibrant, making even The Mountain vs. The Viper look simplistic by comparison. Aren’t Emmy Awards supposed to recognize the highest degrees of difficulty and most outstanding technical accomplishments on TV, rather than simply reward the shows with the highest viewership? If so, how did the likes of Rush Hour, Gotham and The Blacklist manage to get nominations for Outstanding Stunt Coordination, while Into the Badlands got absolutely nothing? Of the other candidates for last year’s award, only Marvel’s Daredevil and Game of Thrones should be in the same conversation.

A cursory glance at the various Creative Arts Emmy categories reveals numerous places to recognize Into the Badlands. There’s the production design category, which could recognize a show far more committed to a full-world visual transformation than Constantine, True Blood or American Horror Story, all nominated in the last few years. There’s the costuming award for period/fantasy series, which could recognize Into the Badlands for the completely unique, gorgeous head-to-toe outfits that populate every corner of its world, giving the show a fashion sense totally unlike anything else on TV. But most undeniably, there’s the stunt coordination category, which can only omit Into the Badlands if voters simply didn’t bother to watch the show. Which is exactly what has happened, I’m sure.

Consider the parallel of AMC’s own The Walking Dead. That show has never earned an Emmy nomination for its writing, but on the technical side it’s been nominated in multiple categories every single year since 2011—15 nominations in all, with two wins. That includes nominations in makeup, sound editing, visual effects AND stunt coordination. I’m sure it’s pure coincidence that the show with the higher ratings also manages to pull in nominations every year like clockwork, while the more unorthodox martial arts program gets shut out. Are voters shutting off their TV’s immediately after The Walking Dead and missing the world-class choreography that immediately follows it?

And so, members of the Academy of TV Arts & Sciences, I’m telling you now—whoever among you actually pays attention to a category as humble as “stunt coordination,” you need to get off your asses and watch the current season of Into the Badlands. It’s high time we recognized the most purely (and stylishly) action-packed show on TV in 2017.

Into the Badlands airs Sundays at 10 p.m. on AMC.

Jim Vorel is a Paste staff writer and snake style kung fu master.

Next is my article on the costumes. :wink:

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My latest ezine offering

INTO THE BADLANDS: Dressed to Kill

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Renewed!

Best news I’ve heard all day. Congrats to the ITB crew! :smiley:

AMC Renews Into the Badlands for 16-Episode Third Season
BY JENNA BUSCH ON APRIL 25, 2017

AMCs Into the Badlands has been renewed for an expanded 16-episode third season

AMC has renewed the martial arts drama Into the Badlands for an expanded 16-episode third season. The show is currently one of the highest-rated dramas on cable. Into the Badlands will return to AMC in 2018.

Into the Badlands looks like nothing else on television, a literal high-wire act attracting passionate and dedicated fans by the millions, said Charlie Collier, president of AMC, SundanceTV and AMC Studios. Thanks to series creators and showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar, the terrific cast, led by Daniel Wu, the amazing martial arts team guided by the incomparable Master Dee Dee and fight directors Stephen Fung and Andy Cheng, and everyone else involved who brings this thrill ride to the fans.

We are excited and grateful to continue our journey into the Badlands with Charlie, Joel, Susie and all of our friends at AMC, said Gough and Millar. We also want to give a big clipper salute to our Irish and Chinese partners! The thought of doing an expanded 16-episode season is both thrilling and exhausting!!

AMC currently has four of the top five scripted dramas on cable, including The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, Fear the Walking Dead, Into the Badlands and Better Call Saul. Into the Badlands was created by executive producers/showrunners/writers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar and is executive produced by Oscar-nominated producers Stacey Sher and Michael Shamberg, along with David Dobkin, Stephen Fung, Michael Taylor and Daniel Wu.

Into the Badlands stars Wu (Tai Chi Zero), Marton Csokas (The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), Aramis Knight (The Dark Knight Rises), Oliver Stark (Luther), Emily Beecham (28 Weeks Later), Orla Brady (Doctor Who, Fringe), Sarah Bolger (Once Upon a Time, The Tudors), Ally Ioannides (Parenthood) and Madeleine Mantock (Edge of Tomorrow).

And if you need me to make another set visit, I’m available. :slight_smile:

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From AMC directly

Basically the same as ComingSoon.net reported above, but I want to point out Collier given credit to fight directors Fung and Cheng. When has that happened before?

AMC Headed Deeper Into the Badlands With Expanded Third Season
Posted by Ashleen Wicklow
15 mins ago

AMC announced today that it has renewed the martial arts drama Into the Badlands, one of the highest-rated dramas on cable, for an expanded third season of 16 episodes, returning to AMC in 2018.

Midway through its current second season, the series ranks as the No. 4 scripted drama on cable and the No. 4 returning drama, behind The Walking Dead, American Horror Story and Fear the Walking Dead.

“Into the Badlands looks like nothing else on television, a literal high-wire act, attracting passionate and dedicated fans by the millions,” said Charlie Collier, president of AMC, SundanceTV and AMC Studios. “Thanks to series creators and showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar, the terrific cast, led by Daniel Wu, the amazing martial arts team guided by the incomparable Master Dee Dee and fight directors Stephen Fung and Andy Cheng, and everyone else involved who brings this thrill ride to the fans.”

“We are excited and grateful to continue our journey into the Badlands with Charlie, Joel, Susie and all of our friends at AMC,” said Gough and Millar. “We also want to give a big Clipper salute to our Irish and Chinese partners! The thought of doing an expanded 16-episode season is both thrilling and exhausting!!”

In the current television season, AMC has four of the top five scripted dramas on cable.

Into the Badlands airs Sundays at 10/9c on AMC. For the latest information and exclusives sign up for the Into the Badlands Insiders Club.

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S2E7 Black Heart White Mountain

Last night’s ep - the scene where Sunny finds the cut on Henry’s hand was the one I saw filmed. I saw maybe a half dozen takes of it. Cool to see the final cut finally.

I saw a fight scene being filmed too, but they haven’t shown that one yet.

Prediction = [SIZE=1]Now I don’t know this at all because of press access so it’s not a spoiler, but I’m guessing Flea is the Widow.[/SIZE]

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Into the Badlands: The Widow and Tilda fight

//youtu.be/fQne8Zo7QYY

Into the Badlands shared this sneak preview with KungFuMagazine.com and three other reporters. This was the scene that we had the opportunity to watch being filmed during my set visit last November for the article I wrote in our May+June 2017 issue. It’s the ultimate Sword Hottie duel for this show. I was so lucky to see it. I can’t wait to see it in context of the penultimate show, which airs this Sunday, appropriately for Mother’s Day.

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[QUOTE=GeneChing;1302892]
//youtu.be/fQne8Zo7QYY

Into the Badlands shared this sneak preview with KungFuMagazine.com and three other reporters. This was the scene that we had the opportunity to watch being filmed during my set visit last November for the article I wrote in our May+June 2017 issue. It’s the ultimate Sword Hottie duel for this show. I was so lucky to see it. I can’t wait to see it in context of the penultimate show, which airs this Sunday, appropriately for Mother’s Day.[/QUOTE]

Greetings,

I am so glad I do not watch TV any more. That was epically horrific.

mickey

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Chinese news coverage

5
http://news.sina.com 20170510 14:25

25 20175197:00PM(California Theater, 345 S. First St., San Jose) “- Grandmasters’ LIVE!”199220172599 16“” 18WildAid40100 (),

**

“Grandmasters’ LIVE!" 20161994

Media Contact: Gigi Oh, Publisher of Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine & www.Kungfumagazine.com(Tel# 408-209-8150, gigitcmedia@hotmail.com )

On-line: http://www.kungfumagazine.com/info/tournament/KFTC25Live.html;

** 10 , $35 Call Gigi at 510-656-5100 x 141 , Jeff Lin @ 408-668-8868


googtrans (FYI Wu Yanzu is Daniel Wu) :cool:

Superstar Wu Yanzu will attend the martial arts teacher in May California Bay Area sword!
Http://news.sina.com 2017 10 10 14:25 North America Sina.com
share to

The United States Kung Fu Tai Chi magazine to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the launch of a grand celebration, scheduled for May 19, 2017 at 7:00 pm in San Jose’s historic California theater (California Theater, 345 S. First St., San Jose “Grand launch” martial arts teacher performance - Grandmasters’ LIVE! ". Performing masters are from around the world on behalf of the Chinese martial arts factions of the top masters, from 1992 to 2017 during the 25 years of the world’s most influential representatives of the martial arts, and therefore invited to the United States Kung Fu Tai Chi magazine Cover: They are the founder of different boxing or martial art, the head of the Chinese martial arts sector, the highest segment of the nine masters, Kung Fu movie stars or their high school, world martial arts and tai chi champion. To participate in the performance of the boxing boxing Shaolin, Wudang, Tai Chi, Emei, Wing Chun, eagle claw, Cai Lifo, Qingcheng, 99 magic, Hualin Temple, Zhou, Xiajia, Ma, Yang martial arts, The There are wonderful group performances rare: including by the North California Bay District 16 Shaolin school principals and coaches featuring performances “Shaolin Temple mountain” (according to Shaolin Temple rules, but also down the mountain must win over 18 copper people that call Mountain gate), the international Wushu Sutra Union Canada delegation, previous WildAid Tiger Pants elite champion. This will be a collection of Chinese martial arts factions of the highest level of performance, a pure Chinese traditional culture feast, you can witness the master style and celebrity style of the golden opportunity! Show tickets for $ 40 dollars. VIP tickets $ 100 (including VIP seats and one hour before the show with the master photo and signature opportunities). Tickets are limited, please order early, missed opportunities.

** program is wonderful, rare to see the martial arts tai chi master master who really kung fu performances! Attached to the program table, rich in content, California theater advanced stage equipment, sound and sound sound high quality, spacious and comfortable seat, top enjoyment.

Latest News: Superstar Wu Yanzu will attend the “Grandmasters’ LIVE!” On Friday night, will interact with the audience. Wu Sheng in California Berkeley, from the small martial arts, for the Kung Fu Tai Chi magazine February 2016 cover characters. 1994 When he was studying at the University of Oregon, he set up the martial arts club and served as a coach.

Media Contact: Gigi Oh, Publisher of Kung Fu Tai Chi Magazine & www.Kungfumagazine.com (Tel # 408-209-8150, gigitcmedia@hotmail.com)

On-line: http://www.kungfumagazine.com/info/tournament/KFTC25Live.html;

** More than 10 discounts, $ 35 one: Call Gigi at 510-656-5100 x 141, Jeff Lin @ 408-668-8868

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My final article on Season 2

Daniel Wu will be a special guest for Grandmasters LIVE! This Friday May at the California Theater in San Jose, CA.

Read INTO THE BADLANDS: Daniel Wu on the Sunny Side of Life by Gene Ching.

[URL=“http://www.kungfumagazine.com/info/tournament/KFTC25Live.html”]
TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE HERE.

This is my final installment of my INTO THE BADLANDS coverage - the Season 2 Finale immediately follows KFTC25 AF and the MAY+JUNE issue comes off newsstands soon after.

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The Bamboo Ceiling

Daniel Wu Breaks The Bamboo Ceiling
KC YAP | MAY 11, 2017

Pictures by Sarah Dunn; words by Farhan Shah; grooming by Garen Tolkin for exclusive artists using V76 by Vaughn & Bare Escentuals, assisted by Nick Tooman, Jonathan Folds, Jimmy Fikes & Justin Schaefers.

It’s five minutes to eight in the morning and I’m sitting in the conference room at the office, waiting for the phone to ring. Just the night before, I had binged on dozens of YouTube clips until my eyebags had their own eyebags. But it was all for work, of course. I was getting up to speed on Daniel Wu’s latest project, a martial arts television series called Into the Badlands. It’s visceral, bloody and very much in your face, so I don’t imagine it’s going to be aired in (currently on AXN) without first getting its guts and heart ripped out by our country’s rather zealous censorship board, but it makes for interesting viewing.

The phone rings exactly at 8am. Surprising punctuality from a star, I muse while picking it up. Daniel Wu is on the other end of the line. He’s back home in Oakland, residence of the Golden State Warriors basketball team of which Wu is a massive fan. We exchange pleasantries. He seems fresh, even happy to be talking to me. I look at my list of questions and scratch out the one about Steph Curry and gang failing spectacularly at the 2016 NBA Finals. I couldn’t bear to do it to Wu.

“Why are you back home?” I ask instead.

“Oh, just in the middle of doing all the press interviews for Into the Badlands. I’m heading off in about a week to finish the filming of Tomb Raider. We have about a month more of filming to go for that.”

Wu is experiencing an acting Renaissance of sorts in Hollywood. Besides Tomb Raider, which is expected to be out in 2018, Wu also has a small but critical role in Geostorm, playing a scientist who discovers the reason why the satellites are destroying Earth. “That film is interesting because I’m playing a character that is totally different from anything that most people know me for."

“I am a nerdy guy, not the one kicking ass,” Wu laughs.


Jacket by Guess Jeans; shirt & trousers by Fendi; Vanguard Carbon watch in carbon fibre case with nylon strap by Franck Muller. (Above) Jumper by Fendi; shirt by Guess Jeans & jeans by Acne; Vanguard Carbon watch in carbon fibre case with nylon strap by Franck Muller.

THE MOST HARDWORKING MAN IN HOLLYWOOD

“Kicking ass” is what Wu has been doing for close to two decades. He’s starred in over 60 films, two television series and multiple commercials. That’s a lot of work. But he admits that, as he grows older, the way he selects projects has changed as well.

“In the past I used to be more ambitious about wanting to choose award-winning roles. But I slowly realised that as an actor, you’re very passive to the whole process. You cannot control what happens in the end. A lot of times, you put a lot of hopes and dreams into one project and it doesn’t turn out the way you think it would. It’s disheartening,” the 43-year-old shares.

Now, the American-Chinese actor chooses to fit the filming schedule around his family’s needs. The project must be extremely compelling for him to want to do it. For Tomb Raider, it was because he wanted to work alongside Alicia Vikander. “I fell in love with her in Ex Machina. I thought she was great and I was telling myself that I really want to work with this girl.”

Into the Badlands was another kind of opportunity. Wu saw a chance to fill a void on the small screen. He wanted to translate the big-budget fighting sequences you typically saw in cinemas into the medium of television. There are two reasons why no one has done it. One was the money. Secondly, the tight filming schedule typical of a television series meant that fight choreography had to be short and snappy.

Wu’s solution was simple and solved both problemsbring in his own team from Hong Kong, who is used to working on a smaller budget and on a short timeline.

The show’s first season was a great hit. Viewers loved the action. What Wu didn’t anticipate were the huge cultural waves the show made. There was the fact that an Asian male, Wu himself, was the lead. More importantly, Wu had a legitimate romantic interest. And even made out with her.


Shirty by Levi’s; jeans by Dior Homme; Vanguard Chronograph in polished steel by Franck Muller.

THE RISE OF THE ASIAN MALE

It is startlingly rare for an Asian character to be seen romancing another character in the American entertainment universe. The New York Times op-ed, funnyman Aziz Ansari could only come up with two instances that an Asian man kissed someone in television and filmSteven Yuen in The Walking Dead and Daniel Dae Kim in Lost.

“For many years, the Asian male has been emasculated in American culture. Roles like mine help to change that. When the show came out, we had support from all over Americablack Americans, Asian Americans, even Hispanic Americans. I was proud of it, especially since the last time you saw an Asian man and a black woman on television together was in Romeo Must Die with Jet Li and the late Aaliyah. But they only hugged in the end, and that was it,” says Wu, laughing.

“Daniel Dae Kim once told me the true test of whether Asians have made it in Hollywood is when an Asian is the lead actor in a successful rom-com,” I put forward. The reasoning behind this is simple. If the film is financially successful, it means that the audience is comfortable and willing to pay to watch an Asian protagonist win the heart of his female co-star.

“Absolutely,” Wu agrees. I can practically see him nodding his head somewhere in Oakland. “It’s a role most people don’t think of for an Asian male simply because it’s not in the American psyche. As the audience, we must create that demand because honestly, Hollywood just goes where the money is. And right now, the Asian American audience is very vocal.”

He pauses.

“Truthfully, they might be a bit too vocal, a little over the top,” he says, half-jokingly. “I think cultural appropriation is a bullsh*t thing to call out because it’s like saying that only Asians can do martial arts or only black people can play basketball and rap.”

Wu proposes that diversity in entertainment is inevitable as the world becomes more globalised, and it makes sense. The older head honchos are handing over the reins to a younger generation who grew up in more diverse environments. These are people who have travelled, interacted with different people and realised that the world isn’t just shades of white.

continued next post

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Continued from previous post


Shirt by Levi’s; jeans by Dior Homme; shoes by Louboutin; Vanguard Chronograph timepiece in brushed stainless steel by Franck Muller.

ACTOR, ARCHITECT, ASIAN DAD

Wu and I have been chatting for close to 30 minutes now, talking at length about Hollywood and its foibles, his preference for the Hong Kong film industry and the reasons behind it, his disdain for generic superhero films, and even his love for design.

For the record, Wu studied architecture for five yearshe graduated in the top 10% of his classbefore becoming a thespian. He still loves the world of design and was devastated when Zaha Hadid passed away. But he remains private about his creative side for one reason: Kanye West.

“I could be a multi-hyphenate but I don’t want to because people have associated that with Kanye West. He’s ruined it for everybody,” Wu says, laughing boisterously. “Sure, he does some cool things design-wise but he’s not a genius. He’s no Marc Newson.” A beat.

“Or even Marc Jacobs.” Chuckles.

But what I really want to know about is how he is like with his family behind closed doors. We generally put celebrities like Wu on pedestals and hold them to a higher standard, as though they are impervious to any of life’s curveballs.

Wu, I find, is not much unlike you and I. He has his insecurities. He peppers his speech with curse words. He is trying hard to cut sugar out of his diet but loves iced lemon tea too much. He hates plain water. He works out four days a week. And he wants to be the best possible father he can be to his four-year-old daughter, Raven.

“I’m beginning to be like my own father. The stuff I hated hearing from my dad, I’m now saying to Raven,” Wu says. “There are many aspects of my upbringing that made me who I am today so I am trying to transfer that to my daughter. You should be physically and mentally present. I don’t want to be that dad at the playground looking at crap on his phone while his daughter is playing. I see those fathers all the time.”

Wu tells me about an episode in Malaysia. He was at the mall with Raven and his wife Lisa S when he saw a family of fourmother, father and two kidsat a restaurant. The dishes were on the table. But only the father was eating. The remaining three were on their phones, “God knows doing what”. There was no conversation, only the swish of thumbs on digital keypads and the occasional clanking of the father’s fork against his plate.

He nudged Lisa and pointed at the family. “I told her, ‘We will never end up like that family.’ We make a conscious effort to engage and be with each other.”

That includes limiting the amount of screen time Raven is exposed to. Wu only occasionally takes the iPad out of cold storage for Raven on long-haul flights or as a reward. “I think the iPad is an easy way out. The problem is that parenting now seems to be about shoving something in front of a child’s face to entertain them or keep them busy. Kids should be playing outside to foster their creative minds instead of staying indoors and staring at a screen all the time.”

THE FIRST CHINESE AMERICAN PRESIDENT

And then we veer off on another tangent, this time about Wu’s mother. I suppose that’s how a creative mind works, in zigs and zags, with no purpose in sight, merely the pleasure the journey afforded.

Apparently, the late Madam Wu was slightly sad that Raven was born in Hong Kong instead of the US. “She thought that meant Raven couldn’t be the president of the United States until she found out that that you’re still an American citizen even if you were born overseas as long as you have an American parent.”

It was a long-running joke that started with Wu, the first member of the clan to be born on American soil. His mum used to tell him that he could be the first Chinese president of the United States and for the first decade of his life, he thought he could.

Now, he would never wish the crown upon his daughter’s head. “Look at Barack Obama. Do you remember how he looked like before he became the most powerful man on Earth? His whole head is grey now. Nobody in that position ever has a good time,” Wu laughs.

It’s hard to imagine but Obama is only a decade older than Wu. Perhaps it’s the Asian genes or perhaps it’s his disdain for taking on the presidential role, but Wu looks no different than when he first started out in 1998 in the film Bishonen after being casted on the strength of a clothing advertisement.

Sure, the eyes have gained the thousand-yard stare one acquires from experience and the hairline might have crept up a little higher but those dreamy eyes and strong jawline from his youth are still there.

And the hair remains as black as ever.

Get a copy of August Man Malaysia, May 2017 for the complete spread.

Great article from Augustman on Into The Badlands star Daniel Wu. He’ll be our special guest at Grandmasters LIVE!, our cover masters demo for KFTC25 AF.

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In general, I like the show and the choreography…but the finale was annoying…

First, I am not a fan of the two sai vs. whatever sets… It just never did much for me…but that aside…

So, excuse the spellings… Bajie gets almost done in - because he ASSUMED the enemy was dead and turned his back on him…

Why do they ALWAYS do that… It is so simple to make sure… after all, they went in to kill them and they KNEW that they were going to be killed if possible. A simple check would have taken ZERO time…but not let the character pass out at the end…

And then, Sonny… does the EXACT SAME THING with Quinn… REALLY…could they not afford better writers. Even a musical fugue has variation…

140

Some random facebook photos of Daniel Wu and me

You know, I saw Daniel on Wednesday and at Grandmasters LIVE! on Friday, but I didn’t take a single selfie with him. However, I got pulled into a few other people’s pix, and they’ve been tagging me on facebook.



I quite enjoyed the Season Two finale, but clearly I’m biased as a huge fan of the show and a friend of Daniel’s.