Moonlight Blade - Xu Haofeng remake of The Magic Blade (2019?)

[whitesnake]

Xu Haofeng, Chinese director of The Hidden Sword, The Final Master, Judge Archer, and The Sword Identity, announced a new film project on his Facebook page - Moonlight Blade, with no further info.  Then there were film announcements at - http://filmcombatsyndicate.blogspot.com/2016/09/xu-reverts-back-to-his-source-material.html (at the bottom) and https://www.filmtotaal.nl/nieuws/51402 (in Dutch).  Now a teaser poster shows up on https://twitter.com/AsianFilmStrike - .  "New Teaser poster for Moonlight Blade, Xu Haofeng's planned adaptation of Gu Long's The Magic Blade (already a 1976 Chu Yuan film)."  

teaser poster - 

But the image on Xu Haofent's Facebook page looks more like an image from Moonlight Blade, a wuxia-themed MMORPG set in a fantasy version of ancient China.  The game is getting a "coming soon" North American release in 2018 or possibly 2019.

image on Facebook page - 

Here's an image from Moonlight Blade MMORPG game - 

[One Armed Boxer]

On 3/27/2018 at 3:31 AM, whitesnake said:

Xu Haofeng, Chinese director of The Hidden Sword, The Final Master, Judge Archer, and The Sword Identity, announced a new film project on his Facebook page - Moonlight Blade

Any news of a new Xu Haofeng movie is good news for the martial arts genre, this guy hasn't put a foot wrong so far.

[reason108]

Absolutely love that poster! 

Yeah, whatever this turns out to be, it will be a 100 times better than Derek Yee’s Sword Master. Xu Haofeng is the man for realistic Kung-fu action in this shitty modern day world we live in. 

[Asmo]

That poster is sweet. I'll be keen to check this out, if he's as good a director as you say he is.

[reason108]

On 3/31/2018 at 1:44 AM, Asmo said:

That poster is sweet. I'll be keen to check this out, if he's as good a director as you say he is.

 

Well, everyone has different tastes and I have no idea if you would like what he has directed; depending on your particular type of kung-fu movie. But, he reminds me of a classic Shaw Brothers director, fight choreographer that we all know and love. But, dare shall I say, with a more artistic eye. Well, a type of "arthouse" appeal here, if you will. Really, just check out The Sword Identity or The Final Master. These are "modern" old-school films with some quirky characters (at times) with some really good fight choreography. No, this is not your modern day fast cutting action with cgi effects. This is old school Lau Kar-leung fighting where the actors have to show their techniques. 

 

 

...and, I hate to even mention it...cause it has become the advertising cliche for each one of his movies...but, he is the guy that wrote The Grandmaster.

[Asmo]

4 hours ago, reason108 said:

 

Well, everyone has different tastes and I have no idea if you would like what he has directed; depending on your particular type of kung-fu movie. But, he reminds me of a classic Shaw Brothers director, fight choreographer that we all know and love. But, dare shall I say, with a more artistic eye. Well, a type of "arthouse" appeal here, if you will. Really, just check out The Sword Identity or The Final Master. These are "modern" old-school films with some quirky characters (at times) with some really good fight choreography. No, this is not your modern day fast cutting action with cgi effects. This is old school Lau Kar-leung fighting where the actors have to show their techniques. 

 

 

...and, I hate to even mention it...cause it has become the advertising cliche for each one of his movies...but, he is the guy that wrote The Grandmaster.

That is true. Even if it mightn't be to my taste, I'm always willing to give recommendations a shot, if only to give myself an insight into what other people like. But honestly, what you've said here (especially about the fight choreography) is going a ways towards selling me on this. Thanks for the insight.

Ah! I thought his name seemed familiar..

[whitesnake]

I don't know if this is the same movie as the remake of Moonlight Blade that director Xu Haofeng announced several months ago.  According to his Facebook page, he is now filming a wu xia pian movie titled Shi Yan Juan Tianya.  Cast includes Zhou Xun (Painted Skin: The Resurrection), Chen Kun (Mojin - The Lost Legend), and Song Jia (My Beloved Bodyguard).  The movie's title is based on "a Sanqu from Yuan dynasty of China.  Sanqu refers to a fixed rhythm form of Classical Chinese poetry, or 'literary song'."  Info from https://www.facebook.com/DirectorHaofengXu/ and https://twitter.com/AsianFilmStrike.  The pictures are from m.weibo.cn   More pix on https://twitter.com/AsianFilmStrike  Found some replacement pix at https://cfen.si/2018/07/24/first-stills-for-chen-kun-zhou-xuns-upcoming-wuxia-film/

color pix 

b&w pix - does that look like a "tricked-out blade" he's carrying?  Ti Lung carried one in The Magic Blade. 

 

[Drunken Monk]

Did The Hidden Sword actually get a release? It seems Xu Haofeng makes films and then they don't see the light of day for three or four years. It's bizarre.

[whitesnake]

IMDB says that The Hidden Sword did get released in Canada on August 27, 2017.  It does not appear to have a legit home entertainment release yet.

[reason108]

Yeah, this is a really frustrating situation. Finally, we get a real Shaw Brothers era writer/director/choreographer and you can't get access to his films for years after they are made. This is the only guy whose movies I am still looking forward too seeing these days. His style of filmmaking and choreography may not be for everyone; especially in this day of The Raid and Jason Bourne, but this guy just oozes old school cool! The only movie of his to appear on blu-ray here in the states is The Final Master. His other two films have been stuck in dvd hell thanks to Lionsgate. Though, iTunes used to have the HD releases of them. They still might. I would love to see Wellgo get behind him and give his films the arthouse push they did for Ip Man or Detective Dee and really get this guy`s name out there. I think that there could be a wide(r) audience for his work; especially anyone that still has a warm place in their heart for Crouching Tiger and The Grandmaster.

[whitesnake]

I still don't know if this is the remake of the Moonlight Blade, but the Xu Haofeng movie, Shi Yan Juan Tianya, now has the English title, The Weary Poet.  The cast also includes Geng Le (Air Strike)  and Huang Jue (The Hidden Sword).  Plot synopsis - "Swordsman Wen Sanchun (Zhou Xun) is on the run from assassins, and is saved by wandering hero Ye Motian (Chen Kun).  Together they escape to the armoury, the stronghold of Anda, a Yuan rebel commander and Ye Motian's foster father.  It is later revealed that Wen Sanchun is a trusted subordinate of the crown prince, and is here to persuade the rebels to surrender.  Now a wanted criminal, Ye Motian and Wen Sanchun engage in a deadly struggle."  The movie's release will probably be in 2019.  Info from https://filmcombatsyndicate.com/the-weary-poet-stills/  The still is from https://twitter.com/AsianFilmStrike posted August 28, 2018.  

[Drunken Monk]

Weirdly, a brand new poster for The Hidden Sword has just popped up. It feels like Xu Haofeng's films are always delayed by about two years.

[Drunken Monk]

I didn't actually see a thread on The Hidden Sword. If there is one, can someone link it here?

[reason108]

Hope this hits blu-ray soon or plays near me.

 

[whitesnake]

Found this at https://meaww.com/the-rise-of-phoenixes-season-2-netflix-chen-kun-ni-ni-new-movie-the-weary-poet-fans-excited   At least it's from 2019 (Jan 30) - "It has come to our attention that [Chen Kun] will soon be seen in the upcoming movie 'The Weary Poet', helmed by filmmaker Xu Haofeng, best known for making movies that present martial arts in a more realist and less glamorized manner than it usually is... While we are yet to be graced with a release date or even a trailer for 'The Weary Poet', the compelling first stills of the movie have been shared by Cfen." 

In the past 3 weeks (late April to May 11, 2019), some photos from 'The Weary Poet' got posted at http://www.instahu.com/tag/천쿤

[reason108]

I will watch any kung-fu movie that Xu Haofeng wants to make but it is really frustrating that there is such a delay to get to see his work. He needs to get an agent or a better one that will promote his work a little better as his films need someone other than Lionsgate to release them. Yeah, The Final Master was released by Welgo but nothing since. 

[rdenn]

my favourite kung fu director at the mo but takes 3 years for his movies to be seen, very frustrating

[thekfc]

There is usually some kind of "issue" with the Asian movies that Lionsgate the acquire right to - either they are delayed or when they are releases then they usually get a DVD only release (no Blu-ray). In recent memory, 2 of The Four movies (releases as Lawless Kingdom & Kingdom of Blood) as well as Headshot only got a DVD release from them.

[whitesnake]

Posted on May 25 on https://twitter.com/AsianFilmStrike - "Xu Haofeng's THE HIDDEN SWORD is finally coming out in China this July, two years after it's festival premieres." 

New poster for The Hidden Sword - 

[whitesnake]

Xu Haofeng's new movie, Shi Yan Juan Tian Ya (The Weary Poet), finished filming on September 30, 2018 - posted on https://www.facebook.com/DirectorHaofengXu/ on October 10, 2018.  Posts on his Facebook page are infrequent.  

[reason108]

Ok, I’m going to say it. Many may not agree with me on this. But, Xu Haofeng is as good a director as Zhang Yimou and those kind of directors. If Xu focused less on martial arts, people would be singing his praises. Though, I certainly wouldn’t want him to stop doing what he’s doing. We just need Wellgo to push his value.