Wu-Jing.org

-- Just Another Pandora's Box --

Behind-the-scenes:

Athena Chu's multiple personalities befuddle Ada Choi

The various cast members speak

 

Some new images from Sina:

 

-- 14 Blades --
A newer 14 Blades trailer has been posted 3 weeks back on Youtube, showing the promising action in more coherence and detail.

Also, there's a behind-the-scenes footage of forest battle (non-IMAX version) on Sohu, which shows, based on some elements of the action, Donnie Yen having some input in the choreography by Ku Huen Chiu, and also how he sprained his leg as he grabbed and gyrated to throw off his opponent.

 

And finally, some images of Vicki Zhao in the film from Sina.

 

 

14 Blades' release date has been brought forward by a week to Feb 4, 2010.

 

In the meantime, Bodyguards and Assassins is doing very well in China, having crossed the 200m yuan boundary in 12 days and Peter Chan is planning a TV version of the film, providing more background on the characters.

Sina has released yet another bunch of stills from True Legend, this time containing a few images of Gordon Liu. Gordon Liu plays the role of Whitebeard, a mischievous elderly who is a doyen of martial arts. Seeing through Zhao Wen Zhuo's heart, he helps him gain deeper understanding of the essence of martial arts, pushing him to new heights. 

 

Continue reading "Gordon Liu in True Legend and Legend of Shaolin Kungfu 3"

-- Legend of Chen Zhen --
On December 20, the press got to visit the set of Legend of Chen Zhen, and witnessed the filming of a scene where Donnie Yen, having just returned from abroad, is playing the piano with aplomb at Hundred Joys, sweeping girls off their feet.

 

Donnie Yen, who, in a way, came from a family of musicians in which his mother, who apart from teaching martial arts in Boston, is a soprano and father a violinist, picked up the piano while very young. He was last seen on the piano in Love on The Rocks, and gets to flaunt his piano virtuosity again in Legend of Chen Zhen.

Continue reading "The Legend of Westernised Chen Zhen, The Piano Virtuoso"

A 3D montage from True Legend whereby Zhao Wen Zhuo challenges his imagined opponent in order to elevate his martial arts skill was shown for the first time at a press conference in Beijing on December 20, attended by director Yuen Wo Ping, the cast Zhou Xun, Jiang Lu Xia and Will Liu. Post-production took over 10 months in order to create the fight scenes in 3D, done painstakingly layer by layer, frame by frame by Menfond Electronic Art and over 100 digital artists. Yuen Wo Ping says that to shoot the 3D action scenes, two cameras had to be set up, and he tried to devise moves that aren't too fanciful, such that the action could be seen distinctly, for maximum 3D visual impact.

Continue reading "True Legend in 3D - Partially"

-- Tempest of Westerly Winds --

Filming of Legendary Four: Tempest of Westerly Winds has slowed down due to... the chill and tempest of the westerly winds, so to speak, it is taking around one more month longer to shoot, and the production is allocating extra budget as such. The cast have their own means of combating the freezing temperature.

Wu Jing would jog for 10km daily, plus doing other workouts such as 10 sets of sit-ups comprising 150 repetitions each. Wu Jing, who insists on doing his own stunts, once received 70 kicks from Yu Nan's double on a tall platform, once he even fell off and nearly had a concussion.

Charlie Yeung is unfazed by the bitter temperature, and would even call everyone out to have fun when it snows, like playing snowball warfare.

After days of enduring coldness, Yu Nan finally found a heater bag that would not leave her when off-camera. 

 

Duan Yi Hong would also exercise to keep warm, like a 5km job or dumbbell lifting. Besides that, he has acquired warm patches that he sticks all over his body. But he also falls sick easily, such as getting acute keratitis, acute gastroenteritis.  Sina

-- Shaolin --
As Shaolin is about to go into production later this month, the cast are receiving training in either Hong Kong or Mainland. Since two months back, Andy Lau has been training under martial arts directors Corey Yuen and Yuen Tak, as well as watching videos to learn the basics of Shaolin Fist.

Recently, Reverend Yongzhi and his disciple Xing Yu (aka 延能 Yan Neng) arrived in Hong Kong to give the cast specialised training. Andy Lau has been learning Seven-Star Fist under both of them, Reverend Yongzhi's fist is quick and powerful, and he is very fastidious about each movement and footwork, while Andy Lau is working very hard on it, practising each and every stance repeatedly and mindfully. Apart from martial arts training, Andy Lau, who meditates 45 minutes daily, also went to Shaolin Temple for a three-day retreat earlier on, hoping to understand the meaning of Zen and martial arts as one, in preparation for his role in Shaolin.

Andy Lau, whose earnest attitude influences his colleagues to train with him, says, "I have never tried meditating in the temple, studying scriptures and doing not doing, I didn't even have my handphone with me, thinking of nothing, purifying my thoughts. Actually, it's possible to talk nothing for three days, I felt more at ease and free. The true meaning of Shaolin kungfu is not limited to the kungfu per se, but also relates to the cultivation of one's mind, to reach the state of union of Zen and martial arts, gaining a deeper realisation of martial spirit."

Reverend Yongzhi, who rarely takes in any disciples, and has never taught anyone else outside the premises of Shaolin Temple, is making an exception for the film Shaolin, "I hope this new Shaolin film will propagate the real meaning of Shaolin martial arts. Shaolin kungfu is not simply about fighting, it also encompasses autogenous, infinity, understanding of Self, this is the meaning of Zen and martial arts as one. It's an affinity for Andy Lau to have the chance to pick up Shaolin kungfu."  

Aside from Andy Lau, director Benny Chan reveals that Wu Jing and Yu Shao Qun would be learning Joint-lock Techniques and Sticky Hands respectively, while Nicholas Tse gets a unique set of skills specially devised for the film. However, as the three of them are busy filming in Mainland, missing the chance to be coached personally by Reverend Yong Zhi, Corey Yuen and Yuen Tak will record his movements and pass the instructions to them later. Benny Chan has also gone to Shaolin Temple with the assistant director several months back to meditate, to experience firsthand the spiritual practice of Shaolin martial arts.  Netease

  

Video: Andy Lau Training in Seven Star Fist   Sina

 As the martial arts director for Wong Kar Wai's The Great Master, what do you think of Ip Man trend?
 Yuen Wo Ping: It might bring back the kungfu film wave, when there are so many Ip Man related films. Actually, the first was Wong Kar Wai, he talked about it for years, but only started shooting now. They have already finished filming Ip Man 2, yet he hadn't even started. I have to hand it to him, such patience, taking such a long time to do the preparation. I don't dawdle, dawdling grinds people to death. Continue reading "Yuen Wo Ping on Ip Man Trend and Those He Has Worked With"

Owing to low temperature and onslaughts of tempest, filming progress of Legendary Four: Tempest of the Westerly Winds, directed by Gao Qun Shu, choreographed by Nicky Li, is stymied. But, according to Lang Chen on his blog, the film should be wrapping up pretty soon.

Lang Chen, who was commissioned by Wu Jing to write Way of Tai Chi, is personally planning another work 《战士》 Warrior (tentative) for Wu Jing. He's writing the script with Wu Jing in mind and he would also be directing, though it is still quite far off before production begins.

He says that he mentions Wu Jing very often on his blog because he likes Wu Jing very much, for his simplicity, for his dedication to filmmaking, for the vulnerabilities and sensitivities within his heart.

It was when he first talked to him, for a few hours, that changed the way he looked at Wu Jing, who was but a kungfu star to him, a sunny person, and one with pride. When chatting, it is inevitable to gossip, to speak ill of others, yet in those few fours of talk, any word that came from Wu Jing's mouth did not involve anything negative about anyone.

And that is the type of people Lang Chen respects and adores. "Wu Jing is an actor, and has also become a director, I'm a director, and also a script writer, so, in our interaction, our topics mostly revolve around those things we that shared most passions on. He had his own views, and in fact, he had never-ending streams of ideas. Being in the industry of over 10 years, working till he's all burned out, was perhaps what he would desire most. I would augment his ideas, and also got rectified by him, I brought out new ideas... and the time passed quickly."

While promoting Bodyguards and Assassins in Shanghai on December 9, producers Peter Chan and Yu Dong gave their thanks to Donnie Yen for helping the film wrap up successfully, returning to the set after filming had ended to re-enact a fight scene without taking extra pay. They also presented Donnie Yen with a film print of the parkour fight scene, that Donnie Yen, working with Cung Le and his longstanding team of 17 stuntmen, choreographed.

Continue reading "Donnie Yen Crossing Path with Cung Le in More Ways than One"

-- Confucius --

In this biopic of Confucius, directed by Hu Mei, starring Chow Yun Fatt, Zhou Xun, Chen Kai Li, Ren Quan, Lu Yi and Chen Jian Bin, set against the backdrop of Spring and Autumn Period, the kingdom of Eastern Zhou is close to collapse, and the land is divided by feudal lords who are waging wars against each other to be the ultimate ruler.

 

Confucius, for his ideals, traverses between various states, standing alone against the times, hoping to use his transcendental philosophies and wisdom to influence the various warlords and the progress of history. But like all other sages in history, Confucius' time hasn't come, he is trapped various times in the midst of a war, with no food to eat,  gets embroiled in conspiracies, and has been misunderstood by the folks...

 

Confucius is set for release on January 28, 2010.

 

Trailer: Sina

Making of: Sina

Stills: Netease

-- True Legend --

Images of Zhao Wen Zhuo, Zhou Xun, Leung Kar Yan (as Beggar Su's father), Jiang Lu Xia, Andy On in True Legend from Sina