Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai is finally bringing to life his long-term personal project on Bruce Lee’s master, Ip Man. Which should be quite different from Donnie Yen & Wilson Yip’s versions… Less patriotism, more kung-fu wisdom?
Basically, The Grandmasters is presented as another Ip Man‘s biopic, with Tony Leung Chiu Wai in the lead role, showing off his kung fu skills. Also, Zhang Yiyi is supposedly playing the wife’s master. It must be said that during the whole production, very few details have been published, with Wong Kar-wai trying to keep journalists away from this “mysterious” shooting.
While plot details have still to come, this first trailer sets the tone, revealing one of the (many?) fights from the film, and proving that Wong Kar-wai is clearly venturing into something “new”, which could appeal to a wider audience. Here we have a stylish yet basic action-sequence, with slow-mo reinforcing the power of the Master, plus rain & guys flying all over the place. The trailer is all about sharing Ip Man’s vision of martial arts; the last man standing is right – horizontal, the guy on the ground is wrong – vertical. Wow.
So, is Wong Kar-wai going mainstream? Or is this just a naughty misleading trailer from the chinese auteur? By the way, choreography by Yuen Woo-ping & score from Frankie Chan (who previously worked on Chungking Express, Fallen Angel),
Highly anticipated, The Grandmasters has already been delayed a few times, with the chinese theatrical release date moving from Early 2011 to (supposedly) December 2011/Early 2012. The film could also be going to the Venice Film Festival in September ’11. Wait & See!
Sources: Wild Bunch (with HQ pics), Wu Jing, @TheGoldenRock
AKA The Grand Master, The Great Master, 一代宗師
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PLEASE RELEASE THE MOVIE IN AUGUST. I HAVE WAITED TOO LONG TO SEE TONY KICKING SOME SERIUOS ASS IN THIS MOVIE BY MY ICON WONG KAR WAI. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE IN AUGUST OK!
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