Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen

Martial Media, Culture and Other Arts Martial Media and Popular Culture
1

as per the request of our mighty moderator gene ching. here is a thread on the latest donnie yen film:

courtesy Wu-jing.org

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.

from kung fu cinema, which is just a rehashing of what was reported by wu jing

In 1995, Hong Kong action star and filmmaker Donnie Yen played Chen Zhen, the role made famous by Bruce Lee, in a television series version of Lee’s classic martial arts film FIST OF FURY (1971). Wu-Jing.org has reported that Yen will return to the role in a proposed “sequel” of sorts to be helmed by Andrew Lau, best known for his work behind the cameras on the original STORM RIDERS (1998) and the INFERNAL AFFAIRS trilogy.

legendofchenzhenteaserFIST OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF CHEN ZHEN will be set seven years after the apparent death of Chen Zhen, who was shot after discovering who was reponsible for his teacher’s death in Japanese-occupied Shanghai. A mysterious stranger arrives from overseas and befriends a local mafia boss.

That man is a disguised Chen Zhen, who intends to infiltrate the mob when they form an alliance with the Japanese. Disguising himself as a caped fighter by night, Chen intends to take out everyone involved as well as get his hands on an assassination list prepared by the Japanese.

Reported to be co-starring in the film are Taiwanese-born international actress Shu Qi and veteran Hong Kong actor Anthony Wong. Gordon Chan, who helmed FIST OF LEGEND (1994), the film where Jet Li played Chen, is producing with Lau and co-wrote the script. Yen will also serve as the film’s action choreographer. Filming should begin very soon as Yen is currently at work on IP MAN 2.

FIST OF FURY: THE LEGEND OF CHEN ZHEN is scheduled for a 2010 release from Media Asia Films.

Twitch

by Todd Brown, October 30, 2009 1:01 PM
Action, Asia, Martial Arts
chenzhen.jpg
As mentioned by X yesterday, next on the docket for the incredibly busy Donnie Yen is a starring role in Andrew Lau’s The Legend Of Chen Zhen. But beyond the title, we knew very little about what Lau had planned other than that it would - apparently - be a continuation of the Chen Zhen story. Chen Zhen, for those unfamiliar, is the role played by Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury and Jet Li in Fist of Legend, a legendary Chinese martial artist who struggled against the Japanese occupation of China during the war.

The Fist of Fury / Fist of Legend story ends with Chen staging his own death to achieve peace for his people before being whisked away to live out his life in hiding. And that’s where Andrew Lau comes in …

According to WuJing.org this new story picks up seven years later with Chen returning to once again struggle against Chinese collusion with the Japanese, with the collaboration this time occurring in the criminal underworld. Also playing key roles will be Shu Qi and Anthony Wong while Gordon Chan serves as producer. Martial arts choreography? That’s being handled by Yen himself and given how much Donnie idolizes Bruce Lee I think it’s probably time to dust off the original film to see where he’s going with this …

teaser post

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Nice one, Doug

I was going to start digging for that myself when I got a moment. Thanks for beating me to the punch!

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An update

Not sure what this does for U.S. distribution. Probably nothing…

TF1 buys Media Asia’s Chen Zhen for France
6 November, 2009

Hong Kong’s Media Asia Distribution has sold The Legend Of Chen Zhen, directed by Andrew Lau and starring Donnie Yen, to France’s TF1.

Dream Movies also took all rights for Australia and New Zealand to the period action film, which recently started shooting in China. TF1 took rights for French-speaking Europe.

Leading Hong Kong action star Yen plays Chen Zhen in the film, a folk hero who fights the Shanghai mafia and occupying Japanese. Shu Qi and Anthony Wong also star.

Media Asia is producing through its joint venture with Shanghai Film Group and Beijing-based Guoli Changsheng. China’s Enlight Pictures is co-producing the film.

Meanwhile, Dream Movies also took rights for Australia and New Zealand to Pang Ho-chueng’s Love In A Puff, a comedy starring Miriam Yeung and Shawn Yue, and Johnnie To’s new project, Death Of A Hostage, starring Lau Ching Wan.

Media Asia is also handling Asian sales on Su Chao-pin’s Jianyu Jianghu, a martial arts thriller starring Michelle Yeoh and produced by John Woo and Terence Chang, which Fortissimo Films is selling in the rest of the world.

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full article of donnie talking about well…donnie, some of it is donnie talking out his ass like he usually does but the article as a whole is very insightful:

Donnie Yen Seeks Quantum Leaps for Each Film He Does
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 General Guan Yun Chang by Felix Chong and Alan Mak, through comic book adaptation A Man Called Hero remake, to mythological feature Monkey King.

That year, Donnie Yen’s mentor Yuen Wo Ping declared, “When it comes to action films, in the end, Donnie Yen will be the best.” And now, Donnie Yen marches on inexorably with his diligence, proving the foresight of his mentor.

“I only sleep 5 hours a day, really very exhausted, not just physically, but creatively too.” Donnie Yen tells film critic Wei Jun Zi, and that is the price he pays for fame and wealth.

Setting the trend

Donnie Yen begins, I hope to hear everyone’s assessments on me, but not simply based on any one single film, I pay attention to scaling new heights in each movie I make. I’m constantly changing, only give me a roundup when I retire some day: This is Donnie Yen style, he has done these films, has what influences on Chinese films, or even action films worldwide.

Watching Sherlock Holmes recently, it was amazing. I believe Guy Ritchie must have seen Flash Point, SPL. So many actions, how could there be such uncanny resemblance? I’m very proud, my films have certain influences on Hollywood. When I met Blades 2 director back then, his desk was cluttered with Donnie Yen films, so the foreigners are forever watching our films, looking for things that they could borrow. However, we lack good action films these few years, where do they look up to then?

The action films these days are returning to the initial stage, following a fixed pattern in action, this has always been something I wished to shake off for years. Tens of years, whether it is solo or duo fights, the biggest influence comes from the stage, for they are all Peking Opera-trained, lowering the head, raising the leg, one, two, and perennially, they would choreograph in such a way that each blow would be blocked, and blocked perfectly, such flawless coordination, played out just like Peking Operas.

So, many years ago, I’ve always hoped to capture realistic fighting, but I’m still shooting a film, so I still have to use film language, it must be more dramatic, must be designed according to the characters, the main point being to find a balance, be it modern or period film, and incorporate the most realistic, logical elements. You mustn’t be able to parry all blows, there must be something unexpected. So, in Flashpoint action, I made a breakthrough.

By contrast, you say the choreography in Ip Man is outstanding? I thought otherwise, actually it’s mostly because it manages to capture the mood, everyone was thoroughly into the film. There are some moves, some shots in 1 vs 10 dojo scene that were improvised, I was given free rein. I didn’t want the Wing Chun to another The Prodigal Son, it’d be stale, so I gathered many resources, reading books online, watching the foreigners’ applications of Wing Chun, for they have incorporated many free fight elements into Wing Chun, I thought this was great, and showed the moves to the director and communicated with big brother Sammo Hung and also acquired some discs for them, and that was how Ip Man’s action was born.

Competitiveness

Whenever I watch Hollywood films, I develop some kind of competitive spirit, I believe that our creativity is no lesser than them. Our market is getting better these few years, and the budget is increased, but compared to Hollywood’s distribution network, our budget is still peanuts to them.

Hollywood has its merits and weaknesses, such as when I was shooting Blade 2, each department was assigned its own tasks very clearly, I was the action director, there was one scene whereby I fought with a vampire, requiring some wirework, it was this high only, but they actually made a machine, over $10K, anyhow, it was very expensive. We kept trying it out, shooting for 6, 7 hours, if they were to do it like Hong Kong films, just one hoist, and it could be accomplished in 1/2 hour, really extravagant. If we had that kind of money, we would handle it better, could use that amount on something else.

But I admire Hollywood’s persistence in their quest for perfection, they truly have a basic concept of the script, you could change everyday, but at least, there is a definite, distinct direction, and scene division. Hong Kong directors work forever like before, often changing things instantly on the set, and then they would keep on altering it day after day. This is a bad habit, I find the Mainland directors better in this respect, they put in lots of effort, perhaps because they feel that they’re not as experienced as Hong Kong.

But Hong Kong directors are too experienced, too capable, and think too lightly of competitions. I have accumulated much experience in action film, but I won’t overrate myself, I would always be thinking of how to improve. I believe I have responsibility to raise the bar of action films. Most film martial arts directors these days are just recycling stuff, they lack the drive to brave new territories. Fortunately, it’s something I can take pride in, my team still has the fighting spirit - in every film.

Formation of Yen Clan; the steadfastness of Kenji Tanagaki

Those stunt teams in the past, they couldn’t work for others, but in the past 10 years, there were hardly any movies being made, do you want your comrades to languish at home, with nothing to eat? My own stunt team, they have their own works when I’m not filming, in particular a group of Japanese friends, they are the best in Japan, many big films look for them. They have been with me for years.

And there are a few who are very young, they followed me when I was in Germany for a year. Apart from them are some Chinese martial arts directors. My own clan, they have already been elevated to the position of action directors, doing Bichumno, as well as numerous TV series. Whenever I’m beginning production on a new film, just a call to them, and they would put aside all their works, handing over to their assistants, and come to help me. They have been with me for years, and understand what I wish each film would contribute, not just my own performance, but the entire action must achieve breakthroughs

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part 2

here is the second half of the article:

The earliest member came from ATV’s Fist of Fury TV series, he was Kenji Tanagaki, he has been with me for many years, now he’s already a producer, and choreographed many major manga adaptations in Japan. He came to Hong Kong to join stunt training classes, when filming Fist of Fury, Hong Kong action films were declining, there was no work. Comparatively, Fist of Fury was a big budget TV series, so all the stuntmen came here, even though I had a few assistants, but there was still not enough men. In the end, everyone had to appear in front of the camera, but I couldn’t keep using the same stuntmen, so I was short of new faces, I hired Kenji Tanagaki to do a few moves, not bad. Since then, he had been following me.

When I was shooting Ballistic Kiss, when I was at my trough, he was around. I wasn’t in good health, was smoking, and didn’t have sufficient funds to complete the film, it wasn’t easy to finish filming, after three months of post-production, all the crew left me, for I couldn’t pay them, but Kenji Tanagaki stood by me. Whenever I woke up at 4 am every day, he would make me a hot cup of coffee, remaining with me all the time.

One day, I told him, you’re a Japanese, you should go back, you have been in Hong Kong for roughly 10 years, whether it was from me or others, you have learned well nigh everything, you should return to Japan with the techniques of Hong Kong martial arts direction, you’d certainly make it big. He heeded my advice, returned to Japan, and became very successful.

Offering something new in Legend of Chen Zhen

Legend of Chen Zhen is a little like Infernal Affairs, is completely removed from Chen Zhen classic, it’s akin to an exceedingly good Hollywood film, quite close to Batman, coupled with that kind of pacing, it keeps everyone in suspense as to who are the agents or spies, very novel.

Chen Zhen has three images in the film, he can be someone suave, playing the piano, dating girls, in the manner of Kungfu Hustle meets In the Mood for Love. But this is just his facade, he has two other identities, one is a war veteran in Europe, we’ve just finished a very big-scale European war scene. Another is Fist of Fury flashbacks. The three outfits would definitely be a success from the commercial standpoint, and his romance is acted out in a very contemporary way.

I’m really worn out, I’m involved in creative process too, how to shoot in in a novel way. Ip Man was already excellent, how could I surpass it. Frankly speaking, I have very little time here, when shooting Ip Man 2, big brother Sammo Hung had sufficient time - at least 10 days - to shoot each martial arts scene.

But now, I often pester my buddy Andrew Lau, how much time are you giving me? Two days, how to shoot? He says it’s enough for me, you’re so great. I argue that the audience would not take into account how little time was spent, they would only look at the end results. But I have a clever way to overcome this, putting the emphasis on the look and feel, very fresh. From creativity, conceptualisation, I can’t use the same method, it takes on another level of creativeness, after SPL and Dragon Tiger Gate, I’m proud of this.

Originally, I intended to shoot a parkour scene in Legend of Chen Zhen, but I implemented it Bodyguards and Assassins to salvage it. Now I’ve made some slight modifications to Legend of Chen Zhen, it is nothing like Bodyguards and Assassins. I believe it won’t be any weaker than Bodyguards and Assassins. I’ve just finished putting together a bit of the rough cut, decent enough. New Youth (issue 5), Sina

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A teaser

It’s short but there’s a teaser on tudou now.

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yeah i saw it on kfc…it leaves much to be desired. actually it looked like black mask 3…hope not.

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if shu qi is in the film, I will watch it.

Shu Qi also starred in transporter 1 or 2 (?).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XramZGW-Jco&feature=related

:cool:

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Coming in October

Good ol’ Donnie. He’s living the kung fu dream and getting all the most kick ass kung fu legend roles now.

Kungfu Chen Zhen returns
English.news.cn 2010-05-10 21:23:22

BEIJING, May 10 – “Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen”, the latest film about one of the best-known action heroes on China’s screens, will hit local cinemas in October, producers have announced.

Investors said at a press conference on Monday that they are expecting a box-office take of 500 million yuan (73.3 million U.S. dollars). That number, if reached, would make the film one of the most profitable Chinese-language films of all time. “The Founding of a Republic”, last year’s box-office leader, earned 420 million yuan.

Donnie Yen, who portrayed the fictitious martial-arts hero Chen Zhen in a 1995 TV drama, reprises the role that has also been played by Bruce Lee and Jet Li. A frequent character on China’s big and small screens, Chen Zhen is usually portrayed as a student of martial-arts legend Huo Yuanjia (1867-1910).

“Unlike Bruce Lee’s Chen Zhen who’s uneducated, or Jet Li’s version, Donnie Yen has to go further. Yen’s Chen Zhen returns to China from France, and is more mature and romantic than previous incarnations,” explained Gordon Chan, the film’s producer.

According to the production team, Yen’s Chen Zhen is a special agent who works against Japanese spies in 1920s Shanghai.

The film also stars Shu Qi, Anthony Wong and Huang Bo.

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Twitch now has a trailer

I think it’s more or less the same as the one that was out on Tudou above (that’s now removed).

First Teaser for LEGEND OF THE FIST: THE RETURN OF CHEN ZHEN
by Al Young, May 10, 2010 12:05 PM

Media Asia has debuted the first teaser trailer to Andrew Lau’s Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (.) with Donnie Yen portraying the fictitious martial-arts hero Chen Zhen, a role also been played by Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury and Jet Li in Fist of Legend. Unlike the previous incarnation of Chen Zhen, there is a mix of secret agent and superhero spin to the character. Produced and scripted by Gordan Chan, the spiritual sequel also stars Shu Qi, Anthony Wong and Huang Bo. Here’s the official synopsis:

While China is traumatized by military cliques during the Warlord Era in the 1920s, Shanghai is the cynosure of all eyes.  People see it as both Hell's Kitchen and Heaven's Gate.  One of the city's most memorable heroes has to be Chen Zhen, who single-handedly avenges his mentor's death by killing all the Japanese at a dojo in Honkou, only to be showered with bullets while making his legendary flying kick.  Vanished from the public eye ever since, he has taken for dead though his body is never found.

Seven years later, a wealthy entrepreneur called Koo returns from abroad and makes a grand entrance on the Shanghai social scene by befriending the notorious mafia boss of the city.  This mysterious man is none other then 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.

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

The theatrical release date is on October 1st.

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If Chen Zhen lived, it changes everything.

The more I think about this, the more it un-does everything in the Bruce Lee/Jet Li/Jackie Chan versions. I’m now more bothered by this project concept than I was about the Karate Kid remake.

Donnie Yen to star as ‘Fist of Fury’ hero in new romantic thriller
Posted: 12 May 2010 1319 hrs

BEIJING: Hong Kong actor Donnie Yen will star in the upcoming romantic thriller “The Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen” produced by Gordon Chan.

Yen will play Chen Zhen, a fictional martial arts hero originally played by the late kung fu legend Bruce Lee, in the 1972 action film “Fists of Fury”.

Set in 1920s Shanghai, Chan’s film will also star Taiwanese actress Shu Qi as a dance hostess with complex emotions, who gets caught between Chen and a gangland boss played by screen veteran Anthony Wong.

Although the film still revolves around Chen Zhen, a character that has been re-imagined and played by various actors numerous times in various films and television series, Chan claims that his version of the character is different from those that came before.

“The Bruce Lee version [of Chen Zhen] was uneducated, the Jet Li version returned to China from Japan but this time, the Donnie Yen version of Chen Zhen returned to China from Europe, plays the piano and smokes cigars,” said Chan during a press conference for the film in Beijing on Monday.

Yen’s character will apparently be taking on Japanese spies instead of an arrogant group of Japanese martial artistes as was the case in previous productions.

Chan also backed Yen when asked to comment on an incident where a supporting actress working on the film posted a status update on her micro-blog, claiming that Yen was overbearing and had reduced her screen time by cutting a fight scene between them.

“I made the edits,” said Chan. "It has nothing to do with Yen. Compared to Yen, I am more overbearing.

“Perhaps she is a little inexperienced, because such edits are normal.”

Showing their confidence in the project, investors have expressed that they are expecting the “The Legend of the Fist”, which opens in September, to gross 500 million yuan (S$101 million) at the box office.

  • CNA/ha
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Jingwu Fengyun

Opening in Venice…

Jingwu Fengyun - Chen Zhen is second opening night film at Venice Fest
BUSINESSOFCINEMA.COM TEAM 26 July , 2010
Jingwu Fengyun - Chen Zhen is second opening night film at Venice Fest

Mumbai: The film by Andrew Lau Jingwu fengyun Chen Zhen (Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen), the third episode in the saga of Chen Zhen, the hero brought to the screen by Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury (1972) is the second film on the opening night (Out of Competition), on the occasion of the anniversary of Bruce Lees 70th birthday.

The 67th Venice International Film Festival will take place on the Lido from September 1st to 11th 2010, directed by Marco Mueller and organized by la Biennale di Venezia, chaired by Paolo Baratta.

Jingwu fengyun Chen Zhen will be shown in its world premiere screening in the Sala Grande (Palazzo del Cinema) Wednesday September 1 at 10:00 p.m. for the audience and for all visitors to the Venice Film Festival. Written by Gordon Chan and produced by the Chinese production company Media Asia Films, the film will be distributed internationally by Media Asia Distribution.

For the 70th anniversary of the birth of Bruce Lee, born in 1940, Jingwu Fengyun brings back to the screen the martial arts hero Chen Zhen, the character interpreted by the unforgettable Bruce Lee in Fist of Fury (1972) by Wei Lo, and later by Jet Li in Fist of Legend (1994) by Gordon Chan. Unlike the previous reincarnations of Chen Zhen, in this episode the classic kung-fu film adds an original blend of elements from the spy and super-hero series. This is the work by Andrew Lau, one of the t famous directors of the Hong Kong film genre.

Lau’s ‘Fist’ gets second opening slot at Venice
Kung-fu film shown on Bruce Lee’s 70th birthday
By Jonathan Landreth
July 25, 2010, 11:42 AM ET

LOS ANGELES – Director Andrew Laus Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen will be the second opening night film at the 67th Venice International Film Festival, Sept. 1-11.

The world premiere starring Donnie Yen, Shu Qi, Anthony Wong and Huang Bo will screen out of competition on Sept. 1 – what would have been the late Bruce Lee’s 70th birthday – who first brought the hero Chen Zhen to life in Fist of Fury in 1972.

Written by Gordon Chan and produced by Media Asia Films of Hong Kong and Beijing-based Enlight Pictures, the film will be distributed internationally by Media Asia.

Unlike the previous film incarnations of the martial arts hero Chen Zhen, including Chans 1994 Fist of Legend, which starred Jet Li, Laus take on the classic kung-fu film adds an original blend of elements from the spy and super-hero series, festival organizers, led by director Marco Mueller, said in a statement.

Lau is one of Hong Kongs best-known directors for titles such as Initial D, which was presented at Venice in 2005, and the Infernal Affairs trilogy, the basis for the Hollywood remake The Departed, which won Martin Scorsese the Best Director Oscar.

This had to be the greatest trial in my entire career as a cineasteI strived to break out from the shadow of [this films] predecessors by aiming at a genuine breakthrough in the balance of action and drama, in costume and set designs, and in action choreography, Lau said.

Thought to be dead, the Chen Zhen of Lau and Chans imagining is hiding in 1920s Shanghai disguised as an entrepreneur. At the Casablanca nightclub he mingles with British officials, Japanese officers and spies of all stripes as each seeks to tip the balance of power. As Japan prepares to invade, Chen sets out to rescue as many people as he can from their hit list.

The 10 pm Chen Zhen premiere at Venice will follow the American director Darren Aronofskys The Black Swan, showing as a part of the Biennales opening ceremony.

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I’m glad we’re clear on this.

Second ain’t bad. I’m more bummed that LotF didn’t send me a press release. :frowning:

Publicists play public for fools and the desperation of Zhang Jingchu
* Source: Global Times
* [23:37 July 29 2010]
By Doriah Morrison

American showman P.T. Barnum (1810-1891), perhaps one of the world’s greatest publicists, is widely credited as saying, “There’s a sucker born every minute.” It seems that publicists now more than ever subscribe to this sort of crap, at least in China’s showbiz world.

This was my first reaction to a press release I received from a publicist for Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen earlier this week, as it boasted the film, directed by Andrew Lau, would open this year’s Venice Film Festival on September 1.

Instinctively, I smelled something fishy: However passionate the festival’s director Marco Müller is about China’s film industry, there is no way a commercial action film would open such an artistic and politically-sensitive film festival.

Checking the film festival’s official website revealed that Black Swan is set as the opening film (In Competition), a psychological thriller directed by Darren Aronofsky and starring Natalie Portman. That sounds more like a film that should open Venice. Also posted on the site is that Legend of the Fist is scheduled to be screened second on opening night (Out of Competition), in memory of what would have been Bruce Lee’s 70th birthday (Lee played the role of Chen Zhen in 1977’s The Legend).

However, when I approached the film’s publicist, she insisted that Legend of the Fist was the “opening film.” After I mentioned that I’ve checked out her claim on the film festival’s website, she backpedaled and began to call it the “second opening night film.” Well, that is a new, creative and deceptive “category” future film publicists can learn from.

By the time I finished this column, it was still widely publicized online and in local media that Legend of the Fist is the opening film in Venice. I guess “old-fashioned” publicity still works, even if it’s just for a short period of time.

But there are also failed examples, such as actress Zhang Jingchu, who was desperate to surpass the popularity of Zhang Ziyi as one of the mainland’s top actresses. While the superstar was marred by scandal, Zhang Jingchu saw her opportunity as the blockbuster Aftershock hit theaters.

Sadly for Zhang Jingchu’s lack of acting skills and being outshined by co-star Xu Fan, critics panned her performance. However, it wasn’t long before her publicists began to pay popular bloggers to write rave reviews that praised Zhang. According to blogger that accepted cash for kind words, his Aftershock review fluffed Zhang as one of the film’s highlights while harshly criticizing Xu.

Zhang’s slick publicity bombed. However misguided audiences had been by those paid-off bloggers and film critics, once they watched the film, it was easy to judge for themselves. So to everyone involved in showbiz, maybe there is a lesson to be learned here.

Doriah Morrison is a freelancer for Global Times. He enjoys fine food, nightlife and other people’s lives. To gush the goss on celebrity sightings, spats and salaciousness, email: doriahmorrison@gmail.com

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Well Go picks up U.S. rights

Well Go also handles Ip Man and Ip Man 2.

Well Go Takes “Legend” Ahead of Venice and Toronto

Well Go USA announced today that it has acquired North American rights to “Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen,” starring Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen. The film was directed by Andrew Lau (Infernal Affairs, Confession of Pain), who also co-produced the film and served as a cinematographer alongside his frequent partner Ng Man-Ching. Gordon Chan co-wrote and co-produced the film, with John Chong serving as an executive producer and Donnie Yen as fight choreographer. The film is a co-production between Hong Kong film distributor Media Asia Films, Lau’s production company Basic Pictures, and Chinese film producer Enlight Pictures.

“Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen is a another key acquisition for us as we continue to build our library of important Asian films for the US market,” said Well Go President, Doris Pfardrescher, in a statement. “The legend of Chen Zen has a long history in Hong Kong cinema and with Donnie Yen becoming as big a star in America as he is in Asia, we anticipate a lot of fan interest in Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen.”

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen will make it’s world premiere as one of the opening night films at the 67th Venice International Film Festival in September. The film was also selected as the Special Presentation selection at the Toronto International Film Festival. Well Go is planning the North American theatrical debut of Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen in late Spring 2011.

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i cant i just cant…

i watch the trailer, and although andrew lau, and donnie yen should spell greatness..this just looks like a ****ty wannabe attempt at capitalizing on bruce lee, i.e. bruceploitation, theres a word we havent heard in years. i mean not only do they have the audacity to have donnie in this tight a$$ leather suit…but all the bruce lee sound effects…kato all that **** is just too much…the movie should have been on its own…idk if its good or not…andrew lau is a great director donnie yen a great action star…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTYgWwrBGWk

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I’m just hoping for the best with this one. I hope the story is well done, and more so I hope the fights are good and not too wirey. The use of wires really turned me off of Ip Man and makes it so I don’t even want to see part 2.

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[QUOTE=doug maverick;1035628]i watch the trailer, and although andrew lau, and donnie yen should spell greatness..this just looks like a ****ty wannabe attempt at capitalizing on bruce lee, i.e. bruceploitation, theres a word we havent heard in years. i mean not only do they have the audacity to have donnie in this tight a$$ leather suit…but all the bruce lee sound effects…kato all that **** is just too much…the movie should have been on its own…idk if its good or not…andrew lau is a great director donnie yen a great action star…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTYgWwrBGWk[/QUOTE]

I really like Donnie Yen and feel he’s the best in MA movies currently. But…I don’t think Donnie will ever get tired of doing Bruce Lee’s mannerisms in a movie whenever the opportunity comes along.

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[QUOTE=jethro;1035656]I’m just hoping for the best with this one. I hope the story is well done, and more so I hope the fights are good and not too wirey. The use of wires really turned me off of Ip Man and makes it so I don’t even want to see part 2.[/QUOTE]

alll martial arts films use wires…all of them no exception…but the over use of them sux…if they aren’t being used for a safety standpoint they should just be calmed down.

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More in the wake of Venice

Andrew Lau denies slump after ‘Infernal Affairs’
By MIN LEE (AP) – 11 hours ago

HONG KONG — Three years ago, Andrew Lau was the toast of Chinese cinema.

Martin Scorsese had just won a long-overdue best director Oscar for a remake based on his 2002 crime thriller “Infernal Affairs” and thanked Lau in his acceptance speech. The Hong Kong filmmaker was getting ready to release his Hollywood debut starring Richard Gere and Claire Danes.

But that lone American production, “The Flock,” ended up getting a limited release in the U.S. His Chinese-language work since “Infernal Affairs” — which spawned two follow-ups — hasn’t received similar acclaim. Some have described the period as a letdown for the 50-year-old director who was a special effects pioneer and crafted handheld cinematography for art-house icon Wong Kar-wai.

“Right now he seems to be having a hard time aligning his sensibilities with the market,” said Grady Hendrix, one of the organizers of the New York Asian Film Festival.

Lau, however, has returned to the limelight in recent weeks with a new kung fu blockbuster starring Donnie Yen. “Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen” screened at both the Toronto and Venice film festival ahead of its Sept. 23 premiere in Asia. In Venice, the 106-minute action thriller was one of the event’s two opening movies. Just hours after returning from Toronto, the still bleary-eyed director called his upcoming release a personal breakthrough.

“The audiences really enjoyed the visuals of the movie,” Lau told The Associated Press. “They feel it’s very different from what they’ve seen before. It’s like watching live combat. It looks very real.”

The subject matter is a curious choice. The character of Chen Zhen was made famous by Bruce Lee in his 1972 classic “The Chinese Connection” and has already seen other film and TV reincarnations since then.

But Lau said his 120 million Chinese yuan ($18 million) production breathes new life into the role while paying homage to Lee, whom he considers an idol. He and screenwriter Gordon Chan crafted a new story that picks up at the ending of “The Chinese Connection,” in which Chen avenges the murder of his martial arts teachers by the Japanese. In “Legend of the Fist,” Chen goes into hiding in France, where he outsmarts German soldiers with bullet-dodging gymnastics and ruthless punches on the battlefields of World War I. When he returns to Shanghai, he assumes a fake identity as a night club partner but continues his crusade against Japanese imperialism in secret.

Lau says Yen, who played Chen in a 1995 TV series, came up with new moves and that he instructed the action star to fight with more rhythm. Lee’s spirit is still felt, with Yen donning Lee’s classic white tight-collared Mao suit, flashing a nunchaku and emitting high-pitched growls. He also fights in a mask, evoking Lee’s Kato characters in the short-lived 1966 American TV series “The Green Hornet.”

The reviews have been mixed. Hollywood trade publication Variety called Lau’s lighting and color schemes “dazzling” but criticized its jerky pace and lack of elegant action sequences.

Lau said he isn’t nostalgic about the success of “Infernal Affairs,” which he attributed to timing and luck. The hit came at a time when the Hong Kong industry was suffering, he noted. The Scorsese remake, “The Departed,” helped generate headlines and greater prestige.

“I tell people to stop talking about it. That’s in the past. That was eight years ago. We need to look to the future. You can’t come up with new things unless you constantly forget the past. There’s no reason to keep wearing the same pair of pants,” Lau said.

But he disputed the characterization that he went into a slump after the “Infernal Affairs” trilogy. His body of work since then is diverse. Besides “The Flock,” there’s a street car racing story inspired by a Japanese comic book series (“Initial D”), a Korean-language action film set in the Netherlands (“Daisy”), another Hong Kong-set thriller (“Confession of Pain”) and a Macau-set romantic comedy (“Look for a Star”). The eclectic mix gives the impression that Lau is experimenting while he searches for a project that truly excites him, Hendrix, the film festival organizer, said.

“I was able to make many different kinds of movies,” Lau said. “They enriched me on many different levels.”

The cinematographer-turned-director said he was especially proud of “Initial D” because it was much more difficult and dangerous shoot than “Infernal Affairs” and a hit in Hong Kong, mainland China and Japan. He thinks he handled romance better in “Confession of Pain.”

“I don’t want to repeat myself. I don’t want to shoot 10 installments of ‘Infernal Affairs,’” he said.

Anyone see The Flock?

20

Premiere!

I’m changing the title of this thread from “Legend of Chen Zhen” to “Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen”

Legend of the Fist has gala premiere in HK
CRI, September 21, 2010

The new kung fu blockbuster “Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen” has had a gala premiere at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center.
Cast members Hsu Chi (left) and Donnie Yen promotes the film in Hong Kong, September 20, 2010.

Director Andrew Lau, lead actor Donnie Yen and lead actress Shu Qi were all in attendance.

The film marks Yen and Shu’s first collaboration. Shu says she admires Yen’s work ethics.

“Donnie Yen wakes up early to practice martial arts and shape his figure. He watches his diet, and doesn’t eat that much unless needed. He is highly self-disciplined and really respects his work. I learned a lot from him.”

And the admiration is mutual.

“I also learned a lot from Shu Qi. Besides her acting skills, she is such a sincere person and she is an actress with real personality. I am looking forward to our next collaboration. I don’t know when but I hope soon.”

“Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen” opened on the Chinese mainland on Tuesday (September 21). It will open in Hong Kong and Taiwan later in the week.

Red Carpet at the premiere of Legend of the Fist
CRI, September 16, 2010

Director Wai-Keung Lau, cast members Donnie Yen, Shu Qi, Anthony Wong, Huang Bo, Yue Shawn, Huo Siyan, Ryu Kohata, Ma Yue, Akira, Ma Su and Chen Jiajia were all in attendance, posing on the red carpet for fans and media alike.

Senior executives from the film’s production companies, including CEO of Enlight Media Wang Changtian, Chairman and CEO of Media Asia Group Peter Lam, CEO of Shanghai Film Group Corporation Ren Zhonglun, producers Zhang Zhao, Zhuang Cheng and Zhang Guoli, were also there to promote the new film.

Even Chinese singer Han Geng made an appearance, and received a screaming welcome from his fans along the red carpet.

Host of the ceremony Liu Yiwei, Chinese comedians He Yunwei and Li Jing, actors Vincent Chiao, Xu Zheng, Gong Beibi, Sun Feifei, Xu Jinjiang, singers Ma Tianyu, Sha Baoliang, Chen Sisi, Xu Fei, Aduo and **** & Cowboy also graced the red carpet.