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SHANGHAI : Talk about being Shanghai-ed. In a legal and enjoyable way, of course. Soon after I arrived in modern-day China, I was bundled up and shipped off (actually, we took the bus) to central Hong Kong circa 1905.
Welcome to the bygone world of "Bodyguards and Assassins", an epic actioner about a group of everyday people set on protecting Dr Sun Yat-Sen from assassination.
It boasts a cast of Chinese and Hong Kong cinema superstars, including Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Nicholas Tse, Tony Leung Hu Jun, Simon Yam, Eric Tsang, Fan Bing Bing and Zhou Xun.
MediaCorp Raintree Pictures has the Singapore distribution rights, having acquired the movie with Festive Films. "Bodyguards and Assassins" will be released through Golden Village Pictures in December.
“I really wanted to make this (film) 10 years ago but the market then just could not support such an expensive and costly film,” Hong Kong director Terry Chan told TODAY in Mandarin at the colossal set.
Built at a cost of more than US$5 million (S$7.3 million), the majestic set is the first one-to-one scale reproduction of old Hong Kong. It took a year to build in the Song Jiang Province, a western suburb of Shanghai, and is about the size of 10 football fields.
Painstakingly focused on keeping historical accuracy and attention-to-detail, the streets and arcades vary from traditional Chinese shophouses to colonial-style buildings to gothic architecture enhanced by props meticulously true to the time, like rickshaws, alcohol bottles and around 4,000 signboards.
Said the film’s star producer Peter Chan: “Shooting 'Warlords' (Chan’s last blockbuster film starring Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Jet Li) was relatively simpler ... 'Bodyguards' is an action film that requires more precision. This one is of a much larger scale and way more detailed.”
Added Chan: “So far, we’ve spent US$23 million in total and we’re over budget by US$2.5 million to US$3 million.”
Even Hollywood actress Andie Macdowell and Oscar-winning "Slumdog Millionaire" director Danny Boyle, who were in town for the Shanghai Film Festival, were duly impressed as they toured the set. “I’m having a blast - it’s so amazing! Look at the details!” Macdowell gushed when TODAY caught her looking at a suitcase containing colourful cigarette box replicas.
It could even have inspired Boyle. “There is a possibility that I’ll do a film in this part of Asia, given the right script,” he said, looking around.
The reason for all this attention to detail is that the film isn’t being made for a Western audience. “This one isn’t made with Hollywood in mind at all,” said Chan.
“We’re making it for the Chinese-speaking market. And that includes Singapore and Malaysia.”
Added the director: “We’ve bombarded the world with many an action-period blockbuster and tried to please everyone.
“We should be trying to please our domestic market.” - TODAY/ar
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