New wave of Tai Chi movies
Jet Li is toying with the idea of producing and starring in period kungfu film film named Doing Tai Chi tentative)
in April 2011, with a New Year release. Jet Li often encourages everyone to practise Tai Chi, as he feels that Tai Chi is not only good for health but also a form of self-cultivation. He hopes to have Huayi Brothers producing and hire Feng Xiao Gang as the director. So probably he will be powerfull enough to start a new wave of martial art movies changing Wing Chun to Tai Chi. Also there is a pack of Tai Chi related films in the pipeline too. Firstly, there are Stephen Chow’s Tai Chi, which is hopeful of beginning production early next year, Tiger Chen’s Taichi Tiger, produced by Keanu Reeves, Wu Jing’s Way of Tai Chi, which is set in Japan and the script of which has probably been completed for months but is being delayed in favour of a military film, and Yang Zi’s Master of Tai Chi, that was announced recently, as well as Wang Bao Qiang’s New Master of Tai Chi TV series, that is being choreographed by Tan Qiao. So fasten your seatbelts guys and be ready for new martial art movie… and buy some wear to train in the part in slow motions.
The Monkey King
The new martial art movie The Monkey King, directed by Cheang Pou Soi, has begun production in Beijing on October 8. Apart from Donnie Yen who is taking on the title role as the Monkey King Sun Wu Kong, Chow Yun Fatt is playing the Jade Emperor who rules over the realms of Deities, Humans and Demons, Aaron Kwok is playing Bull Demon King, who fights against the Heavenly Palace for the sake of love, so that his wife Princess Iron Fan, played by Chen Qiao En, and child could return to Heavenly Palace, while Mo Xiao Qi and Wang Yuan Yuan are taking on the roles of fairies Zixia and Caiyun, and He is playing Erlang Shen.
In this new twist on Journey to the West, the young, hotheaded and impressionable Sun Wu Kong, who aspires to become an immortal, is duped by his newly acquainted friend Bull Demon King into wreaking havoc on the Heaven Palace, forcing the Jade Emperor to retaliate.
Reportedly, a budget of this new martial art movie has been raised to 400m yuan, out of which 40m yuan go into Chow Yun Fatt’s pocket, while Donnie Yen takes home 26m yuan and Aaron Kwok 8m yuan. Filming will take 5 months, followed by 15 months of post-production, before being released in summer 2012.
No more Ip Man
Producer Raymond Wong is finally going ahead with new martial art movie Wisely, that was shelved in favour of Ip Man 2 film a few years back, next year. Donnie Yen is set to star as the title character in this 100m yuan budget film. It remains to be known if Wilson Yip would be directing. Raymond Wong says, “This film’s budget is very big, and there’ll be copious special effects, Donnie Yen has been doing many period films of late, it’s high time he did some new modern martial art movie, in order to give everyone a refreshing change.”
The Raid
Writer-director Gareth Huw Evans was re-teaming with his Merantau star Iko Uwais for an new upcoming project titled The Raid (Serbuan Maut). Gareth promotes his new martial art movie via Twitter account, telling about sets and fights, according to him 85% of scenes will be shoot indoor, because of hot sun, and Iko Uwais works hard 10-15 hours a day. Evans is promising a lot of fights including different styles and some drama part.
This movie is going to be entirely different from Merantau. If the first martial arts movie was a family drama that evolved into a full out martial arts spectacle this one starts right off as a prison gang movie. Expect two major fight sequences within the first ten minutes, much more varied environments, a great use of weapons, and a whole lot more blood. Iko Uwais looks absolutely different with shaved head in this new martial art movie. The Raid has to be filmed during 52 days and shootings planned to finished on May 8.
So be ready for a new pack of kick-ass martial arts movies in 2011.