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Bodyguards and Assassins (2009)


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Peter Chan Enshrouds March in Dark October

-- Dark October --

Dark October, produced by Peter Chan, is slated for production in March. Director Teddy Chan was planning the film back in 2004 when the investor committed suicide resulting in the production being stalled. With Peter Chan stepping in, financing for the 1.5m yuan film has been secured. The cast is likely to include Chow Yun Fatt and Donnie Yen, and perhaps Lau Ching Wan, Jackie Cheung, Leon Lai, Aaron Kok, Ji Jin Hee, Kwon Sang Woo.

In Dark October, Sun Yat Sen (Chow Yun Fatt) heads to Hong Kong to raise funds for uprising activities. Learning of assassination attempt by the Manchu government, the businessman (Leon Lai) in Hong Kong who is responsible for receiving Sun Yat Sen hires elite bodyguards (Donnie Yen et al.) to protect him, eventually escorting him back to Guangzhou safely.

http://www.wu-jing.org/happenings/archives/619-Peter-Chan-Enshrouds-March-in-Dark-October.html

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HK, Mainland Directors Set up Film Company

Peter Chan and Huang Jianxin set up a film company Sunday with investment from PolyBona in an attempt to promote the Chinese cinema.

Acclaimed Hong Kong director Peter Chan and Huang Jianxin from the Chinese mainland set up a film company Sunday with investment from PolyBona in an attempt to promote the Chinese cinema.

The company, titled "Cinema Popular", planned to make 15 films in three years, said Peter Chan Sunday at the opening ceremony. "I hope that more elites will be cultivated for the Chinese cinema in the future through our cooperation with young directors."

The company's first film will be "Dark October" directed by Hong Kong actor-director Teddy Chen. The film, supported jointly by Cinema Popular, China Film Group and Shanghai Media Group, is scheduled to start shooting in Shanghai in mid-March.

PolyBona Film Distribution Co.,Ltd. has invested some 500 million yuan (about 73 million U.S. dollars) on the new film company. PolyBona president Yu Dong said he expected "Cinema Popular" to achieve a domestic box office of 2 billion yuan in three years.

PolyBona has distributed more than 150 Chinese and foreign films in the domestic film market since its foundation in 1999. Its overall box office totals some 1.5 billion yuan.

Zhang Hongsen, an official with the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, said, "the founding of 'Cinema Popular' shows the country's deepened efforts in the industrialization of the Chinese cinema, and it also indicates a way out for the country to optimize filming resources."

Hong Kong director Peter Chan wins international acclaims for his war epic "Warloads" (2007) and musical romance "Perhaps Love" (2005) starring mainland-born actress Zhou Xun and heart-throb actor Takeshi Kaneshiro.

http://english.cri.cn/6666/2009/02/16/1221s454112.htm

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Star-Studded 'Dark October'

2009-03-19 15:02:47 CRIENGLISH.com Web Editor: Xie Tingting

Get ready for an all-star Hong Kong action thriller. Local filmmaker Peter Chan is striving to ensure his new project, "Dark October", will be a showcase of top actors.

Chan, who is producing the male-dominated film about the late revolutionary forerunner Sun Yat-sen, has been approaching best-actor winners of various film awards since last year, Sohu.com reported Thursday.

"He has this idea to make an all-star film," the report quoted a source close to Chan as saying.

Although Peter Chan and the film's director, Teddy Chen, have yet to confirm any actors to the media, Sohu quoted the source as saying that the cast will at least include Leon Lai, Tony Leung Ka-Fai, Anthony Wong, Chang Chen, Simon Yam, Eric Tsang, and Wang Xueqi.

But none of them will play Sun Yat-sen, the report says.

Other likely cast members are Hu Jun, Donnie Yen, Nicholas Tse and Aaron Kwok.

"Dark October" tells the story of a group of bodyguards protecting Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925) from assassins in 1905 Hong Kong.

It is the first film to be made by Cinema Popular, a company Peter Chan launched with mainland director Huang Jianxin last month.

Director Teddy Chen has long been planning the film. He first announced the project in 1999, but had to call it off as promised investment failed to arrive. Five years later, Chen gathered Andy Lau and Aaron Kwok for the film, which was halted again following the suicide of its then investor, Ronald Tsang.

Trying it for the third time, Teddy Chen has gained 150 million Hong Kong dollars (US$19.35 million) in investment. Shooting is slated to begin next month, according to the Sohu report.

http://english.cri.cn/6666/2009/03/19/1261s466158.htm

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Cinema Popular unveils $23m historical epic Bodyguards & Assassins

Start-up production and financing outfit Cinema Popular is unveiling its debut production today at Filmart – $23m historical epic Bodyguards And Assassins – to be directed by Teddy Chen.

The film, which starts shooting in early April, features a host of Hong Kong and Chinese stars including Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Nicholas Tse and Chinese actor Wang Xueqi (Forever Enthralled).

The long-gestating project, which Chen has been developing for ten years, revolves around an assassination attempt on the founder of modern China, Sun Yat-sen. The production team has constructed elaborate sets at studios outside Shanghai, including a recreation of 1905 Hong Kong.

In addition to Cinema Popular, the film is backed by China Film Group and Shanghai Media Group, amongst other investors. The high-profile ensemble cast also includes Hu Jun, Tong Leung Ka-fai, Eric Tsang, Simon Yam, Fan Bing-bing, Wang Po-chieh and Zhou Yun.

Launched in February, Cinema Popular is a joint venture between Peter Ho-sun Chan and Chinese filmmaker Huang Jianxin’s We Pictures and Beijing-based Polybona.

Chan has created Cinema Popular in response to the rapid box office growth in mainland China. The company, which is investing around $73m in 15 films over three years, is overhauling the financing model for Hong Kong-China co-productions.

"A few years ago, China would contribute 25% of the budget and recoup around 30-40%," explains Chan. "But in the present climate, China is accounting for around 60-70% of the recoupment. Therefore we should be raising a bigger proportion of the budget from mainland China."

http://www.screendaily.com/ScreenDailyArticle.aspx?intStoryID=43743

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Dark October Mugged by Bodyguards and Assassins

-- Bodyguards and Assassins --

At today's press conference for Bodyguards and Assassins (formerly Dark October), a movie on a group of people protecting Sun Yat Sen against assassination when he was in Hong Kong to raise funds on October 15, 1905, the cast was formally announced.

At this stage, it's not known who'd be playing Dr Sun Yat Sen, after Chow Yun Fatt, who's doing the film on Confucius that begins filming around the same time, declined the offer. Director Teddy Chan explains that Sun Yat Sen is not the key figure in Bodyguards and Assassins, rather the film shows the history of Hong Kong through a group of people protecting Sun Yat Sen.

The partial cast announced includes "Gambler" Donnie Yen, "Beggar" Leon Lai, "Rickshaw Puller" Nicholas Tse, "Revolutionary" Tony Leung Kar Fai, "Assassin" Hu Jun, "General in Exile" Simon Yam, "Police Commissioner" Eric Tsang, "Mistress" Fan Bing Bing, "Scion" Wang Bai Jue, Wang Xue Qi and Zhou Yun.

Among the various characters, Donnie Yen's role is particularly of great import, full of suspense and development. Unlike the others, he isn't a patriotic or righteous person initially, even in the final instance, he's still uncertain of his own stand. Fan Bing Bing plays Donne Yen's wife, but remarries tycoon Wang Xue Qi to be his mistress due to a twist of events.

While Nicholas Tse had actually auditioned for this film several years ago before the production was held up, it's until only recently that his role as the rickshaw puller, one that would lay down his life for Dr Sun, was confirmed.

Hu Jun, as the main villain, one sent by the Manchu government to assassinate Dr Sun, would be shaving his head bald. Hu Jun would also be joining Jingle Ma's ongoing production Hua Mulan starring Vicki Zhao, playing a Hun general.

The 150m yuan film produced by Peter Chan, action directed by Stephen Tung Wai, begins production in early April 2009 and would be released in December 2009.

http://www.wu-jing.org/happenings/archives/630-Dark-October-Mugged-by-Bodyguards-and-Assassins.html#extended

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butcher wing

do you think donnie yen sleeps? I need to see some footage something with substance to make my judgment til then, but it sound awesome, some serious names. can someone find ti lung and give him some work. if he is working can someone give me the names of his newest movies....

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This sounds good, excellent cast, but Dark October is a better title. if you read Chinese, you can see that October is part of the Chinese title in those cast photos w/ the promo in the background. I wonder who will play Sun Yat-Sen? the last movie I saw Ti Lung in was last year's Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon. although it was good to see him, the movie was a waste of time. no way can it compare to Red Cliff

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Nicholas Tse Went all out for New Role

Hong Kong actor Nicholas Tse has gone all out for his new role in Director Teddy Chan's 'Bodyguards and Assassins' (formerly 'Dark October').

The actor had his head shaved bald, for the first time, to play a 'rickshaw puller' role in the upcoming star-studded film.

However, Tse has to undertake more than that. The actor who usually appears on screen with a squeaky-clean, handsome image will make do with a scared face in the film. Special makeup for his character allegedly takes hours to do.

Moreover, the actor also needs to devote time to sun bathing in order to get tanned and look more like a weather-beaten rickshaw puller.

The film 'Bodyguards and Assassins' tells the story of a group of people protecting Sun Yat-Sen against assassination when he was in Hong Kong raising funds on October 15, 1905.

Director Teddy Chan once explained that Sun Yat-Sen is not the key figure in Bodyguards and Assassins, rather the film shows the history of Hong Kong through a group of people protecting Sun Yat-Sen.

The power cast also includes Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Tony Leung Ka-Fai, mainland popular actress Fan Bing Bing, veteran actor Wang Xueqi and Hu Jun. Pop singer Li Yuchun would make her screen debut in the film.

The 150 million yuan film produced by Peter Chan begins production in early April 2009 and will be released in December 2009.

http://english.cri.cn/6666/2009/05/04/1321s481418.htm

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