Today’s the day! The Forbidden Kingdom opens on 3,151 screens across North America, and opened in Thailand, Russia, Philippines and Singapore yesterday! If you’ve seen the movie, let us know what you thought in the comments section of this post! We’re seeing it tonight after a Shaw Brothers marathon!!!!
In the meantime, stories are still breaking from the junket and other sources. We’ve got profiles of cast members Yifei Liu, Collin Chou, Morgan Benoit and director Rob Minkoff under the cut, and keep checking the Reviews section since we’ll be updating it as reviews roll in!
Update: Aint It Cool News’ Quint talks to Jackie Chan! And Reelz Channel talks to Collin Chou!
FIRST UPDATE!
Jackie and Quint
What we like about Aint It Cool News’ Quint’s interviews is they’re more like a conversation, and it’s very cool to sit in on this short but very cool discussion a true fan has with a martial arts idol. Here’s an excerpt:
Quint: It seems like the group that got it together… The movie is very much a love letter to Hong Kong cinema and to martial arts films as a whole. The fact that your character fights with the “drunken fist” style and that’s such a throwback, at least for us and maybe not general audiences, but fans of your past work. I think that is a really nice touch.
Jackie Chan: I think the writer is a big fan of Hong Kong cinema and martial arts, so he tried to write everything he knew in his life with everything like DRUNKEN MASTER and “Monkey King” and the “Jade Emperor” and the elixir… For us and with Jet Li, the first time we read the script, it didn’t make sense, it was ridiculous, but somehow we knew it was a young kid dreaming like a fantasy and fairy tale type movie and so that’s OK.
Quint: Then it works, yeah. I really loved the “Monkey King” aspect of that as well, but I’ve always been a fan of the animal style martial art stuff. One of my favorite films of yours is SNAKE IN EAGLE’S SHADOW and so I was really happy…
Jackie Chan: How old are you?
Quint: I’m twenty-seven.
[Jackie Chan Laughs]
Read the whole thing at Aint It Cool news: ‘Quint chats with Jackie Chan!
Collin Chou talks to Reelz Channel!
With so many junket stories having only one or two sound bites from Collin Chou (who we loved in The Matrix movies and who looks all kinds of badass as the Jade Warlord), it was cool to read Jeff Ott’s lengthy interview with the actor at Reelz Channel.
JO: You’ve worked with both before separately. How was it to work with these two big stars together?
CC: I have been working in this industry for so long… I worked with them both before [and] they always have something to [teach you]. They are so passionate…. They give their real heart to their work… I [try to] always have that attitude.
JO: Was it a playful atmosphere on set when the camera was off?
CC: Always, especially Jackie. Jet Li is more serious because he has religious beliefs. He’s more serious, like a monk.
JO: So who would win if you fought Jackie and Jet?
CC: (Laughs) I think I would win because I am the youngest…
Read the whole thing at Reelz Channel: Exclusive interview with Collin Chou!
Yifei Liu and Collin Chou Profiled!
Collin Chou and Yifei Liu were profiled at Popmatters.com and talk about their journeys to become actors and their thoughts on the film that brings them together.
Taiwan-born Chou plays the film’s antagonist, the Jade Warlord. The actor is best known to American filmgoers through his work as the mysterious Seraph in “The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions.” But that role came long after he was established in the Hong Kong film world.
The more than 30 films he made there capitalized on Chou’s martial arts skills. The 40-year-old actor began his fight training when he was 5.
“There is one thing I really need to clear up. A lot of people say martial arts actors don’t have acting skills. That is totally wrong. We work even harder than normal actors,” Chou says.
Not to mention the “martial challenge” when you’re on a set with Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Yuen Woo Ping! But kung fu isn’t Forbidden Kingdom’s only strength.
“This is a very good family movie for people who want to experience an adventure. A lot of people will face difficulties in their lifetime. But this film says `Never give up.’ That is most important to teach people to survive in this world,” Chou says.
Read the whole thing at PopMatters: Chinese actors hope Forbidden Kingdom raises their profiles in Hollywood’!
From Lion King to Monkey King!
Meanwhile, The Vancouver Sun profiled director Rob Minkoff and gives a glimpse of his road to working with the two Asian mega-stars:
“They’re huge stars around the world, but in China they’re like mega-superstars,” Minkoff stresses. “But that was also the tricky thing, because Jet and Jackie have not been together in a movie for a reason. They are very different in their personas — not only in their martial arts styles but in their acting styles. That was a big part of the job — creating a movie in which they could coexist and that presented them in the same universe.”
Read that at the Vancouver Sun: ‘From Lion King to Monkey King’ by Jamie Portman
The One Foundation!
Also Jet Li News, the actor’s The One foundation has raised over 10 million yuan in its first year, and has allocated 2.3 million yuan for relief work! Read about his charitable doings in Chinaview’s ‘Jet Li foundation allocates 2.3 mln yuan for charity in 1st year’
Cast Member Morgan Benoit profiled!
Morgan Benoit, who plays Boston bully ‘Lupo’ on the wraparound story of The Forbidden Kingdom. Benoit’s story and connection to this movie is pretty interesting. Lisa Clemens profiles him in an article over at CountingDown, where he also adds to the legend of ‘Saint Jackie’ on set:
Some of Morgan’s scenes with Jackie Chan were filmed while Chan was in old-age makeup. It was a process that took over eight hours in the make up chair and caused him quite a lot of discomfort. (I cannot even imagine Jackie Chan sitting still that long.) Morgan told me, “He had a 4 am call time and it was very hot on set because it was August, the height of summer so I am sure all that latex and makeup were very uncomfortable. He never let his discomfort affect his personality. He treated the cast and crew with extreme kindness and respect like he always does.”
Read the whole thing at CountingDown!
