Jet Li rose to prominence for his action roles in the 1980s. While he chose not to star in The Matrix, he did appear in Lethal Weapon 4 and Hitman.
Fans have seen him appear on screen with other popular actors. However, there was one person who Li had been trying to work with for years. Jackie Chan and Li have known each other for a long time. The two had a 20-year quest to join a project together.
Jackie Chan and Jet Li went decades without working together
Guys, who is your favorite actor?
Jackie Chan –
Jet Li – Retweet!
Let's go! ? pic.twitter.com/T6bkJuysW7
— Yen.com.gh (@yencomgh) August 28, 2018
Jackie Chan is one of those famous actors who knows how to fight in real life. He trained in martial arts for many years and gained skills in various fighting styles. As a teenager, he learned how to...
Fans have seen him appear on screen with other popular actors. However, there was one person who Li had been trying to work with for years. Jackie Chan and Li have known each other for a long time. The two had a 20-year quest to join a project together.
Jackie Chan and Jet Li went decades without working together
Guys, who is your favorite actor?
Jackie Chan –
Jet Li – Retweet!
Let's go! ? pic.twitter.com/T6bkJuysW7
— Yen.com.gh (@yencomgh) August 28, 2018
Jackie Chan is one of those famous actors who knows how to fight in real life. He trained in martial arts for many years and gained skills in various fighting styles. As a teenager, he learned how to...
- 2/10/2023
- by Victoria Koehl
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
On this episode of Daily Dead's official podcast, Bryan Christopher, Emily von Seele, and Derek Anderson celebrate folk horror with a discussion of Kier-La Janisse's insightful documentary Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror, and they also talk about the folk horror films Witchfinder General, Kandisha, Viy, Wake Wood, Alison's Birthday, and Lake of the Dead.
You can listen to the new episode of Corpse Club right now on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, TuneIn, YouTube, Pandora, and SoundCloud!
Looking for more scary good Corpse Club content? Be sure to check out our Corpse Club website and memberships. Not only can you view past episodes, but you can also sign up to be an official Corpse Club member to enjoy a wide range of rewards, including a shirt and pin that are to die for, access to bonus content, and the ability to suggest an episode topic!
You can listen to the new episode of Corpse Club right now on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Stitcher, TuneIn, YouTube, Pandora, and SoundCloud!
Looking for more scary good Corpse Club content? Be sure to check out our Corpse Club website and memberships. Not only can you view past episodes, but you can also sign up to be an official Corpse Club member to enjoy a wide range of rewards, including a shirt and pin that are to die for, access to bonus content, and the ability to suggest an episode topic!
- 5/6/2022
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Hey everyone! Before we wrap up the month of January, we have one more week of horror and sci-fi home media releases, and there is a lot to look forward to this Tuesday. Kier-La Janisse’s stunning documentary Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched is getting its own release and is also included in Severin’s amazing Folk Horror compendium that includes a ton of great films beyond Janisse’s doc.
There are a ton of other great titles coming home on Tuesday, too, including Prano Bailey-Bond’s Censor, Arrebato, the cult classic Creature, Detention, Eyes of Fire, Trauma, a limited edition release of Sleep, and a 4K edition of Blood for Dracula.
Other home media titles arriving on January 25th include Delirium: Special Edition, Ebola Syndrome 4K, New York Ninja, The Deeper You Dig, Doctor Carver and Stage Fright (1950).
All The Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium Of Folk Horror (15-Disc...
There are a ton of other great titles coming home on Tuesday, too, including Prano Bailey-Bond’s Censor, Arrebato, the cult classic Creature, Detention, Eyes of Fire, Trauma, a limited edition release of Sleep, and a 4K edition of Blood for Dracula.
Other home media titles arriving on January 25th include Delirium: Special Edition, Ebola Syndrome 4K, New York Ninja, The Deeper You Dig, Doctor Carver and Stage Fright (1950).
All The Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium Of Folk Horror (15-Disc...
- 1/25/2022
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Guest reviewer Lee Broughton returns with an assessment of Sammo Hung’s groundbreaking Hong Kong hit wherein comedy, horror and martial arts elements are brought together in a wholly successful way. This show has it all: kung fu action, duelling mystics, hopping vampires, hungry zombies, haunted mirrors and a sympathetic everyman whose danger-fraught narrative trajectory is littered with moments that are genuinely funny. Excellent production values complete this near perfect picture.
Encounter of the Spooky Kind
Region B Blu-ray
Eureka Entertainment
1980 / Color / 2.35 / 103 min. / Encounters of the Spooky Kind, Spooky Encounters, Gui da Gui / Street Date, 21 June 2021 / £17.99
Starring: Sammo Hung, Fat Chung, Lung Chan, Huang Ha, Suet-Mei Leung, Ching-Ying Lam, Biao Yuen.
Cinematography: Yu-Tang Li
Film Editor: Peter Cheung
Written by Sammo Hung, Ying Wong
Produced by Raymond Chow
Directed by Sammo Hung
“Fat Guts” Cheung (Sammo Hung) is a rickshaw driver in rural China. The “Fat Guts” moniker came about...
Encounter of the Spooky Kind
Region B Blu-ray
Eureka Entertainment
1980 / Color / 2.35 / 103 min. / Encounters of the Spooky Kind, Spooky Encounters, Gui da Gui / Street Date, 21 June 2021 / £17.99
Starring: Sammo Hung, Fat Chung, Lung Chan, Huang Ha, Suet-Mei Leung, Ching-Ying Lam, Biao Yuen.
Cinematography: Yu-Tang Li
Film Editor: Peter Cheung
Written by Sammo Hung, Ying Wong
Produced by Raymond Chow
Directed by Sammo Hung
“Fat Guts” Cheung (Sammo Hung) is a rickshaw driver in rural China. The “Fat Guts” moniker came about...
- 8/17/2021
- by Lee Broughton
- Trailers from Hell
Quite a historic production, “Viy” was the first Soviet-era horror film to be officially released in the Ussr and one of the most influential Russian films of all time, particularly due to its startling visuals and effects courtesy of directors Konstantin Yershov, Georgi Kropachyov, and perhaps most notably, artistic director Aleksandr Ptushko. The film was included among the “1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die” and now finds its way to a stunning Blu Ray release, courtesy of Eureka.
The story revolves around a group of seminary students, who, despite the strictness associated with the fact that they have their lessons by monks, are anything but disciplined, frequently getting drunk, and joking all the time, as the introductory scene that has them making a goat read the bible highlights.
As the students are sent home for vacation, three of them get lost on the way in the middle of the night.
The story revolves around a group of seminary students, who, despite the strictness associated with the fact that they have their lessons by monks, are anything but disciplined, frequently getting drunk, and joking all the time, as the introductory scene that has them making a goat read the bible highlights.
As the students are sent home for vacation, three of them get lost on the way in the middle of the night.
- 4/22/2021
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Two recent films shared top honors this week on leading VOD charts. Of top significance is the early success of “Let Him Go” (Focus), one of several current releases from Universal and its specialty unit that is available for $19.99 only three weeks after its theatrical debut. “The New Mutants” (Disney), which was released in August and has a lower $5.99 cost placed #1 on two charts.
“Let Him Go,” a contemporary Western starring Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, soared on FandangoNow and Apple TV, two charts that provide the most immediate response. The former ranks by dollars paid; the latter lists by number of transactions. Placing ahead of films with much lower prices suggests very strong interest and hints that the Universal/Focus strategy could be working. The film also placed #6 at Google Play. With an earlier deadline, Spectrum usually lags behind the others; expect it to show up next week.
Also scoring well this week,...
“Let Him Go,” a contemporary Western starring Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, soared on FandangoNow and Apple TV, two charts that provide the most immediate response. The former ranks by dollars paid; the latter lists by number of transactions. Placing ahead of films with much lower prices suggests very strong interest and hints that the Universal/Focus strategy could be working. The film also placed #6 at Google Play. With an earlier deadline, Spectrum usually lags behind the others; expect it to show up next week.
Also scoring well this week,...
- 12/1/2020
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
We first heard about the sequel to Oleg Stepchenko's Russian ghost story Viy many years ago -- actually, it was early 2016 when our own Todd Brown wrote about the director's plans, noting the casting of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan to join returning star Jason Flemyng, who would be returning "as cartographer Jonathon Green, packed up by the King to map out the far east where he again encounters the supernatural." Now it's finally here, and we have visual proof in the new trailer for what is now called Iron Mask, which will be "premiering everywhere on Digital and On Demand November 20th and on Blu-ray and DVD November...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 9/29/2020
- Screen Anarchy
This is a film of many titles. The box may call it The Iron Mask, but the screener seen for review has it as The Mystery of the Dragon Seal and its original title is Viy 2. It’s a sequel to the 2014 remake of Viy, released in the UK as The Forbidden Kingdom.
The plot may make even less sense than that explanation of the title, but it’s honestly hard to tell what’s going on here. The basics are (I think) that a magical dragon enables healing tea to grow and there is a battle between good and evil wizards over control of the dragon. How that involves Jackie Chan as a prisoner in the Tower of London, Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Tower’s head guard (implying that he’s playing an Englishman) Jason Flemyng as a map maker and two ‘that boy’s a girl’ reveals...
The plot may make even less sense than that explanation of the title, but it’s honestly hard to tell what’s going on here. The basics are (I think) that a magical dragon enables healing tea to grow and there is a battle between good and evil wizards over control of the dragon. How that involves Jackie Chan as a prisoner in the Tower of London, Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Tower’s head guard (implying that he’s playing an Englishman) Jason Flemyng as a map maker and two ‘that boy’s a girl’ reveals...
- 4/6/2020
- by Sam Inglis
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
There’s no question that Jackie Chan and Arnold Schwarzenegger are two of cinema’s biggest action heroes, and many have wondered what would happen if these two powerhouses ever went toe-to-toe in a feature-length motion picture. Now, the folks over at Signature Entertainment will finally answer that question with their epic adventure movie The Iron Mask, where these legendary superstars will finally duke it out on the big screen.
For those wondering how they could have missed this ordeal, it probably has to do with a very long, complicated road to release. Not to mention the fact that The Iron Mask wasn’t the feature’s first title. The film went by several other names like Journey To China: The Mystery of Iron Mask, Viy 2: Journey to China and Mystery of Dragon Seal. Regardless of how it got here, one thing’s for sure, and that’s that...
For those wondering how they could have missed this ordeal, it probably has to do with a very long, complicated road to release. Not to mention the fact that The Iron Mask wasn’t the feature’s first title. The film went by several other names like Journey To China: The Mystery of Iron Mask, Viy 2: Journey to China and Mystery of Dragon Seal. Regardless of how it got here, one thing’s for sure, and that’s that...
- 2/13/2020
- by D.J. Rivera
- We Got This Covered
China Film Group announced a line-up of 28 films at a large event on the sidelines of the Shanghai International Film Festival that feted both the mainland’s main distributor and the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
“Nearly a thousand film industry people wished the motherland a beautiful and happy birthday” at the gathering held Sunday at the Hilton Hotel in the city’s Hongqiao district, the company said on social media.
Chairman La Peikang gave an opening speech that highlighted the box office success of the Spring Festival hit “The Wandering Earth” and “My Best Summer,” a rom-com that’s made nearly $50 million in its two weeks so far in theaters. La praised them as ventures that have been “win-wins for China Film Group and its partners.”
“The prosperity of China’s film industry depends on the joint efforts of many filmmakers and companies.
“Nearly a thousand film industry people wished the motherland a beautiful and happy birthday” at the gathering held Sunday at the Hilton Hotel in the city’s Hongqiao district, the company said on social media.
Chairman La Peikang gave an opening speech that highlighted the box office success of the Spring Festival hit “The Wandering Earth” and “My Best Summer,” a rom-com that’s made nearly $50 million in its two weeks so far in theaters. La praised them as ventures that have been “win-wins for China Film Group and its partners.”
“The prosperity of China’s film industry depends on the joint efforts of many filmmakers and companies.
- 6/19/2019
- by Rebecca Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Check out the first international trailer (in Russian no less, so it’s pretty to look at but whether you’ll understand anything remains to be seen, or rather heard…) and poster for director Oleg Stepchenko’s fantasy adventure Journey to China which features an eclectic cast, including: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Rutger Hauer, Charles Dance, Jason Flemyng and Yuri Kolokolnikov.
The English traveler Jonathan Green receives from Peter the Great an order to map the Russian Far East. Once again he sets out for a long journey full of incredible adventures that will eventually lead him to China. The cartographer will unexpectedly face a lot of breathtaking discoveries, encounter bizarre creatures, meet with Chinese princesses, and confront deadly martial arts masters and even the king of all dragons – the Dragon King. What could be more dangerous than meeting eye to eye with Viy, except doing it again? What would...
The English traveler Jonathan Green receives from Peter the Great an order to map the Russian Far East. Once again he sets out for a long journey full of incredible adventures that will eventually lead him to China. The cartographer will unexpectedly face a lot of breathtaking discoveries, encounter bizarre creatures, meet with Chinese princesses, and confront deadly martial arts masters and even the king of all dragons – the Dragon King. What could be more dangerous than meeting eye to eye with Viy, except doing it again? What would...
- 12/15/2017
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
This looks very weird. A very short teaser trailer has debuted online for a film titled Journey to China, for short, though it goes by many names. This film is actually Viy 2, a sequel to Viy (from 2014), also known as Forbidden Empire - a fantasy adventure movie set in a cursed Romanian forest. This sequel goes by other titles including: Journey to China: The Mystery of Iron Mask, The Mystery of Dragon Seal: The Journey to China, or just simply Viy-2. The plot involves English traveler/cartographer Jonathan Green journeying to China and falling into a fantastical adventure. The film's peculiar cast features Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, Rutger Hauer, Charles Dance, Jason Flemyng, Yuri Kolokolnikov. Schwarzenegger is playing James Hook, but I don't even know what's going on. Maybe the full-length trailer will reveal more. Here's the first international trailer (+ poster) for Oleg Stepchenko's Journey to China, from...
- 12/12/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Warner Bros. Pictures has retitled Jon Turteltaub‘s (National Treasure) prehistoric shark thriller Meg to The Meg, Bloody Disgusting learned. Starring are Jason Statham (Spy, Furious 7, The Expendables films) and award-winning Chinese actress Li Bingbing (Transformers: Age of Extinction, Forbidden Kingdom, The Message). “A deep-sea submersible—part of an international undersea observation program—has been attacked by a massive creature, previously thought to be extinct, and now lies disabled […]...
- 10/18/2017
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
2010’s In my previous article there was a comment regarding a film that I had left out. I apologise in advance if there are any films that I miss out. This may be due to me simply forgetting or just not seeing a particular film. After the Forbidden Kingdom, Jackie Chan would return to Hong Kong to work on Director Derek Yee’s Shinjiku Incident (2009). A total change of pace for Chan, with a purely dramatic role, it seemed it was a step in the right direction for the ageing action star. Unfortunately Chan’s next leading role would be in the family movie The Spy Next Door (2010), which is not only Chan’s poorest American made film, but one of the poorest of his career....
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 3/17/2017
- Screen Anarchy
It's capable of bringing down a T-Rex in prehistoric times, so just imagine the meal it could have with a modern-day menu. The massive Megalodon shark from Steve Alten's 1997 novel, Meg, will finally come to life on film via Warner Bros., but viewers now have a bit longer of a wait to see the ultimate apex predator make its splash on the big screen.
Multiple sources, including Variety, report that Meg will now be released in theaters (in 3D and IMAX) on August 10th, 2018, moving it several months from its previous March 2nd slot.
Directed by Jon Turteltaub (Last Vegas, National Treasure) and featuring a cast that includes Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Cliff Curtis, Rainn Wilson, and Ruby Rose, filming on Meg began last October in New Zealand, with shooting on the project also being done in China.
Stay tuned to Daily Dead for more updates, check out the...
Multiple sources, including Variety, report that Meg will now be released in theaters (in 3D and IMAX) on August 10th, 2018, moving it several months from its previous March 2nd slot.
Directed by Jon Turteltaub (Last Vegas, National Treasure) and featuring a cast that includes Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, Cliff Curtis, Rainn Wilson, and Ruby Rose, filming on Meg began last October in New Zealand, with shooting on the project also being done in China.
Stay tuned to Daily Dead for more updates, check out the...
- 3/3/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Stars: Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Catrina Lau, Lee Bingbing, Deng Chao | Written by Chen Kuofu & Lin Qianya | Action Director: Sammo Hung | Directed by Tsui Hark
Review by Baron Fortnightly
“When a series of mysterious murders prevents the inauguration of China’s first Empress, Detective Dee, the greatest investigative mind and Kung Fu Master of his generation, is brought back from exile to embark on a manhunt that will forever change the course of history! With a matchless performance from leading-man Andy Lau (Warlords and House of the Flying Daggers) and breathtaking action from the martial arts director of Ip Man and Ip Man 2, Detective Dee is non-stop, heart-racing entertainment in the highest traditions of Asian Action Cinema.”
Detective Dee: Mystery of the Phantom Flame is a 2010 Chinese martial arts/whodunit movie based on the Chinese folk hero and celebrated Tang Dynasty official Di Renjie, otherwise known as Judge Dee...
Review by Baron Fortnightly
“When a series of mysterious murders prevents the inauguration of China’s first Empress, Detective Dee, the greatest investigative mind and Kung Fu Master of his generation, is brought back from exile to embark on a manhunt that will forever change the course of history! With a matchless performance from leading-man Andy Lau (Warlords and House of the Flying Daggers) and breathtaking action from the martial arts director of Ip Man and Ip Man 2, Detective Dee is non-stop, heart-racing entertainment in the highest traditions of Asian Action Cinema.”
Detective Dee: Mystery of the Phantom Flame is a 2010 Chinese martial arts/whodunit movie based on the Chinese folk hero and celebrated Tang Dynasty official Di Renjie, otherwise known as Judge Dee...
- 2/26/2017
- by Guest
- Nerdly
Like our founder and editor Todd Brown, I am obsessed with, and flummoxed by, the troubled history and ongoing weirdness surrounding Russia's modern adaptation of Viy. Ten years in the making, the film finally got released last year under the international title Forbidden Empire, and, while it was a fun film full of whimsy and wonderful creatures, it was, by all accounts, something of a disaster all in. Except, maybe it wasn't? Earlier in 2016 it was announced that Viy-2 was rushing into production with the aid of Chinese funding and two massive stars on board, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan. Fantasy regular, Jason Flemyng also returns to reprise his role as cartographer Jonathon Green along with Rutger Hauer. Here's where it gets weird again. If...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 12/7/2016
- Screen Anarchy
Considering it seems like every single action star from the '80s and '90s eventually wound up battling in a movie together, it's a bit surprising that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan only barely crossed over in the PG-rated, family adventure comedy Around the World in 80 Days. But now they're getting a second chance together, and in a totally unexpected way. Variety reports they're both joining Rutger Hauer in Viy-2, a sequel to a Russian horror/fantasy movie that's set in China but stars British actor Jason Flemyng. Film production in 2016 is unpredictable, to say the least. We don't yet know how the former Governor of California and the man who has broken seemingly every bone in his body fit together in the movie, but...
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- 11/3/2016
- by Peter Hall
- Movies.com
The modern-day world meets a prehistoric threat from below in the massive shark thriller Meg (based on Steve Alten’s novel of the same name), which recently began filming in New Zealand with a cast that includes Jason Statham, Li Bingbing, and Cliff Curtis.
Press Release: (October 12, 2016 – Burbank, CA) – Principal photography is underway in New Zealand on the science fiction action thriller “Meg,” being directed by Jon Turteltaub (the “National Treasure” movies, “Last Vegas”). The film stars Jason Statham (“Spy,” “Furious 7,” “The Expendables” films). Award-winning Chinese actress Li Bingbing (“Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “Forbidden Kingdom,” “The Message”) has been set to star opposite Statham.
A deep-sea submersible—part of an international undersea observation program—has been attacked by a massive creature, previously thought to be extinct, and now lies disabled at the bottom of the deepest trench in the Pacific…with its crew trapped inside. With time running out,...
Press Release: (October 12, 2016 – Burbank, CA) – Principal photography is underway in New Zealand on the science fiction action thriller “Meg,” being directed by Jon Turteltaub (the “National Treasure” movies, “Last Vegas”). The film stars Jason Statham (“Spy,” “Furious 7,” “The Expendables” films). Award-winning Chinese actress Li Bingbing (“Transformers: Age of Extinction,” “Forbidden Kingdom,” “The Message”) has been set to star opposite Statham.
A deep-sea submersible—part of an international undersea observation program—has been attacked by a massive creature, previously thought to be extinct, and now lies disabled at the bottom of the deepest trench in the Pacific…with its crew trapped inside. With time running out,...
- 10/13/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Principal photography is underway in New Zealand on the science fiction action thriller Meg, being directed by Jon Turteltaub (the National Treasure movies, Last Vegas). The film stars Jason Statham (Spy, Furious 7, The Expendables films). Award-winning Chinese actress Li Bingbing (Transformers: Age of Extinction, Forbidden Kingdom, The Message) has been set to star opposite Statham.
A deep-sea submersible—part of an international undersea observation program—has been attacked by a massive creature, previously thought to be extinct, and now lies disabled at the bottom of the deepest trench in the Pacific…with its crew trapped inside. With time running out, expert deep sea rescue diver Jonas Taylor (Statham) is recruited by a visionary Chinese oceanographer (Winston Chao), against the wishes of his daughter Suyin (Li Bingbing), to save the crew—and the ocean itself—from this unstoppable threat: a pre-historic 75-foot-long shark known as the Megalodon. What no one could have imagined is that,...
A deep-sea submersible—part of an international undersea observation program—has been attacked by a massive creature, previously thought to be extinct, and now lies disabled at the bottom of the deepest trench in the Pacific…with its crew trapped inside. With time running out, expert deep sea rescue diver Jonas Taylor (Statham) is recruited by a visionary Chinese oceanographer (Winston Chao), against the wishes of his daughter Suyin (Li Bingbing), to save the crew—and the ocean itself—from this unstoppable threat: a pre-historic 75-foot-long shark known as the Megalodon. What no one could have imagined is that,...
- 10/13/2016
- by Kellvin Chavez
- LRMonline.com
The Revenant executive producers Markus Barmettler and Philip Lee have launched the Hong Kong and Beijing-based producer-financier.
The executives, who between them have been involved in more than 20 productions including Forbidden Kingdom and Cloud Atlas, were instrumental in developing the multi-film agreement between Guangdong Alpha Animation and Culture Company, Catchplay Inc. and New Regency.
Facing East has a profit participation position in the upcoming Assassins Creed and Splinter Cell, as well as The Revenant, and aims to produce three or four large features every two years, with support from Hsbc and unspecified Chinese financial institutions.
The first of these is Foresight Unlimited sales title Inversion (pictured), a sci-fi epic that Peter Segal will direct and aims to shoot in August. Segal is writing with Paul Haggis.
Foresight chief Mark Damon and his team have concluded a number of pre-sales and head to the market to clear up remaining rights.
Among the Facing East development slate is Chinatown...
The executives, who between them have been involved in more than 20 productions including Forbidden Kingdom and Cloud Atlas, were instrumental in developing the multi-film agreement between Guangdong Alpha Animation and Culture Company, Catchplay Inc. and New Regency.
Facing East has a profit participation position in the upcoming Assassins Creed and Splinter Cell, as well as The Revenant, and aims to produce three or four large features every two years, with support from Hsbc and unspecified Chinese financial institutions.
The first of these is Foresight Unlimited sales title Inversion (pictured), a sci-fi epic that Peter Segal will direct and aims to shoot in August. Segal is writing with Paul Haggis.
Foresight chief Mark Damon and his team have concluded a number of pre-sales and head to the market to clear up remaining rights.
Among the Facing East development slate is Chinatown...
- 5/6/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The fact that Oleg Stepchenko's Russian ghost story Viy exists at all is something of a minor miracle. Roughly a decade from the release of the first teasers to the film actually reaching completion it was the near definition of a troubled production, tearing through multiple production companies, suffering massive cost over runs, and being extensively rewritten and reverse engineered more than once through production until it finally ended up as an international period fantasy with Charles Dance and Jason Flemyng in the lead role. And after having survived the experience Stepchenko is doing the natural thing: He's making another one. He's heading to China to do it. And he's added Jackie Chan to the mix. Flemyng returns as cartographer Jonathon Green, packed up by...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 2/22/2016
- Screen Anarchy
The fact that Oleg Stepchenko's Russian ghost story Viy exists at all is something of a minor miracle. Roughly a decade from the release of the first teasers to the film actually reaching completion it was the near definition of a troubled production, tearing through multiple production companies, suffering massive cost over runs, and being extensively rewritten and reverse engineered more than once through production until it finally ended up as an international period fantasy with Charles Dance and Jason Flemyng in the lead role. And after having survived the experience Stepchenko is doing the natural thing: He's making another one. He's heading to China to do it. And he's added Jackie Chan to the mix. Flemyng returns as cartographer Jonathon Green, packed up by...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 2/22/2016
- Screen Anarchy
Li Bingbing stars in Nest.
.
Filming has wrapped on the largest ever Chinese-Australian co-production at Village Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast.
The 3-D Movie, Nest, stars Chinese megastar Li Bingbing, Kellan Lutz (The Twilight Saga, Expendables 3), Kelsey Grammer (Transformers), Stef Dawson (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay), Chinese popstar and actor Wu Chun and Shane Jacobson (The Dressmaker, Oddball, Kenny).
Li Bingbing.s most recent film, Zhongkui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal, on which Arclight Films holds the worldwide sales rights, earned $80 million in China last year.
She is best known internatiionally for her work in Transformers: Age of Extinction, Resident Evil: Retribution and Detective Dee: Mystery of the Phantom Flame.
Nest is the largest Chinese-Australian co-production to date, with investment funding from Screen Australia and Screen Queensland, and features an award-winning team both in front of and behind the camera..
Visual FX will be created by Cutting Edge and the world renowned,...
.
Filming has wrapped on the largest ever Chinese-Australian co-production at Village Roadshow Studios on the Gold Coast.
The 3-D Movie, Nest, stars Chinese megastar Li Bingbing, Kellan Lutz (The Twilight Saga, Expendables 3), Kelsey Grammer (Transformers), Stef Dawson (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay), Chinese popstar and actor Wu Chun and Shane Jacobson (The Dressmaker, Oddball, Kenny).
Li Bingbing.s most recent film, Zhongkui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal, on which Arclight Films holds the worldwide sales rights, earned $80 million in China last year.
She is best known internatiionally for her work in Transformers: Age of Extinction, Resident Evil: Retribution and Detective Dee: Mystery of the Phantom Flame.
Nest is the largest Chinese-Australian co-production to date, with investment funding from Screen Australia and Screen Queensland, and features an award-winning team both in front of and behind the camera..
Visual FX will be created by Cutting Edge and the world renowned,...
- 2/12/2016
- by Brian Karlovsky
- IF.com.au
For 40 years, iconic British producer Jeremy Thomas, whose latest feature High-Rise world premiered at Toronto, has been challenging audiences — and his financiers — with uncompromising, auteur-led fare through his Recorded Picture Company. His filmography is studded with upscale productions and earned him a special place in cinematic history. Whether becoming the first Western producer to shoot in China’s Forbidden Kingdom for Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor in…...
- 9/16/2015
- Deadline
The last day of June doesn’t have a ton of DVD and Blu-ray titles, but those of you cult film fans out there will definitely want to check out this week’s offerings as both Blue Underground and Scream Factory are releasing several fun Collector’s Edition Blus that all seem like great additions for any horror fan’s home entertainment collection.
First up is Sf’s Ghosthouse/Witchery double feature and we also have a trio of Enzo Castellari genre classics coming our way too—1990: The Bronx Warriors, Escape from the Bronx and The New Barbarians—courtesy of Blue Underground. MGM has dug up the 1991 cult werewolf film, Mom, and is presenting it on a Limited Edition DVD.
1990: The Bronx Warriors (Blue Undergound, Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
The First To Die Were The Lucky Ones! It's 1990 and the Bronx has officially been declared a 'No Man's Land.
First up is Sf’s Ghosthouse/Witchery double feature and we also have a trio of Enzo Castellari genre classics coming our way too—1990: The Bronx Warriors, Escape from the Bronx and The New Barbarians—courtesy of Blue Underground. MGM has dug up the 1991 cult werewolf film, Mom, and is presenting it on a Limited Edition DVD.
1990: The Bronx Warriors (Blue Undergound, Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
The First To Die Were The Lucky Ones! It's 1990 and the Bronx has officially been declared a 'No Man's Land.
- 6/29/2015
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Every day, more and more films are added to the various streaming services out there, ranging from Netflix to YouTube, and are hitting the airwaves via movie-centric networks like TCM. Therefore, sifting through all of these pictures can be a tedious and often times confounding or difficult ordeal. But, that’s why we’re here. Every week, Joshua brings you five films to put at the top of your queue, add to your playlist, or grab off of VOD to make your weekend a little more eventful. Here is this week’s top five, in this week’s Armchair Vacation.
5. Forbidden Empire (VOD)
While fantasy narratives, period costuming and CGI effects are often left for either the studio Oscar bait season or the occasional Hollywood blockbuster, lower and lower budget indie releases are getting access to higher and higher quality below-the-line craft work. Take Oleg Stepchenko’s Forbidden Empire for example.
5. Forbidden Empire (VOD)
While fantasy narratives, period costuming and CGI effects are often left for either the studio Oscar bait season or the occasional Hollywood blockbuster, lower and lower budget indie releases are getting access to higher and higher quality below-the-line craft work. Take Oleg Stepchenko’s Forbidden Empire for example.
- 5/30/2015
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
Break out the vodka (pronounced wad-ka) and start boiling the potatoes, because Russian director Oleg Stepchenko has a dark Russian fairytale he’d like to tell you. Loaded with witches, Slavic folklore, and mystical enchantments, Forbidden Empire provides a cultural spin on what would otherwise be a Brothers Grimm tale. Stepchenko keeps his influences in-country, using Nikolai Gogol’s story Viy as a backstory for larger, more sinister(ish) adventures, but there’s an (ish) added because Forbidden Empire feels like two separate films the entire time. It’s like Stepchenko can’t decide which audience he’d rather please more, as the film erratically jumps from childish bouts of jubilant frolicking to sudden bursts of ghoulish debauchery. Ugh, what a haunting tease.
Jason Flemyng stars in Stepchenko’s fable as an ambitious cartographer (Jonathan Green) who sets out to create detailed maps that show the true borders of countries.
Jason Flemyng stars in Stepchenko’s fable as an ambitious cartographer (Jonathan Green) who sets out to create detailed maps that show the true borders of countries.
- 5/24/2015
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
Forbidden Empire
Written by Aleksandr Karpov and Oleg Stepchenko
Directed by Oleg Stepchenko
Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, 2014
Though we may not like to admit it, some movies simply have the deck stacked against them. Case in point, Forbidden Empire. Forbidden Empire is, in fact, a dubbed and re-cut version of Viy, a 2014 Russian fantasy-horror film with a very interesting pedigree. The film is based off a short story by Nikolai Gogol, one of the more towering figures of classic Russian literature, and was previously adapted into a film of the same name in 1967. The previous version of Viy is regarded as something of an unsung classic, an immensely watchable gem rife creative and memorable effects sequences. The new film, however, eschews most of the practical effects wizardry that made the original what it is in favor of CGI effects. So, in summary, it’s a re-cut, dubbed version of a...
Written by Aleksandr Karpov and Oleg Stepchenko
Directed by Oleg Stepchenko
Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, 2014
Though we may not like to admit it, some movies simply have the deck stacked against them. Case in point, Forbidden Empire. Forbidden Empire is, in fact, a dubbed and re-cut version of Viy, a 2014 Russian fantasy-horror film with a very interesting pedigree. The film is based off a short story by Nikolai Gogol, one of the more towering figures of classic Russian literature, and was previously adapted into a film of the same name in 1967. The previous version of Viy is regarded as something of an unsung classic, an immensely watchable gem rife creative and memorable effects sequences. The new film, however, eschews most of the practical effects wizardry that made the original what it is in favor of CGI effects. So, in summary, it’s a re-cut, dubbed version of a...
- 5/24/2015
- by Thomas O'Connor
- SoundOnSight
"Slow West" features a multitude of familiar western beats, but it executes them with a fresh, exciting attitude, a air of melancholy and an unexpected sense of humor. "Forbidden Kingdom" isn't quite as lucky.
"Slow West and Forbidden Empire Are Unconventional Genre Adventures" was originally published on Film School Rejects for our wonderful readers to enjoy. It is not intended to be reproduced on other websites. If you aren't reading this in your favorite RSS reader or on Film School Rejects, you're being bamboozled. We hope you'll come find us and enjoy the best articles about movies, television and culture right from the source.
"Slow West and Forbidden Empire Are Unconventional Genre Adventures" was originally published on Film School Rejects for our wonderful readers to enjoy. It is not intended to be reproduced on other websites. If you aren't reading this in your favorite RSS reader or on Film School Rejects, you're being bamboozled. We hope you'll come find us and enjoy the best articles about movies, television and culture right from the source.
- 5/24/2015
- by Rob Hunter
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
With a spirit similar to Stephen Sommers' Van Helsing and The Mummy, Oleg Stepchenko's Forbidden Empire is equal parts horror and adventure, with a macabre mystery interwoven throughout its intriguing narrative.
It's the 18th century, and an ambitious cartographer named Jonathan Green (Jason Flemyng) is traveling by horse-drawn carriage through the wilderness of Europe to properly map the borders of the world. His journey comes to a literal (and mud-splattered) halt when he comes under attack by ghostly wolves outside a small Ukrainian village run by Lord Dudley (Charles Dance). Jonathan soon learns this small town is cursed—the kind of place you might not leave if you stay overnight. The cause of the town's curse is the church, where Dudley's daughter lies in eternal, perhaps supernatural, slumber.
From this engrossing premise, Stepchenko offers ample amounts of scares delivered in stylish, gothic CGI. A truly transformative dinner table...
It's the 18th century, and an ambitious cartographer named Jonathan Green (Jason Flemyng) is traveling by horse-drawn carriage through the wilderness of Europe to properly map the borders of the world. His journey comes to a literal (and mud-splattered) halt when he comes under attack by ghostly wolves outside a small Ukrainian village run by Lord Dudley (Charles Dance). Jonathan soon learns this small town is cursed—the kind of place you might not leave if you stay overnight. The cause of the town's curse is the church, where Dudley's daughter lies in eternal, perhaps supernatural, slumber.
From this engrossing premise, Stepchenko offers ample amounts of scares delivered in stylish, gothic CGI. A truly transformative dinner table...
- 5/22/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
When a film project languishes for close to ten years in development limbo, chances of it being any good - let alone having any financial success - are usually quite slim. The end result is often a muddled mess of plot adjustments and re-shoots, a once-promising concept somehow watered down into a ball of confusion. Forbidden Empire, from Russian director Oleg Stepchenko and adapted from an 1835 novella by Nikolai Gogol, opened in Eastern Europe (as Viy 3D) in early 2014 and quickly made back enough to turn a tidy profit. But is it actually any good? Well, that depends on the viewer’s expectations.
The original intention was to make a modern, effects-heavy horror remake of 1967’s more literal adaptation of Gogol’s Viy. But, in a probable effort t [Continued ...]...
The original intention was to make a modern, effects-heavy horror remake of 1967’s more literal adaptation of Gogol’s Viy. But, in a probable effort t [Continued ...]...
- 5/21/2015
- QuietEarth.us
In the grand tradition of Russian fantasy films comes a new version of the supernatural legend of The Viy, written by Nicolai Gogol and previously filmed several times, most memorably by Mario Bava as one of the tales in Black Sabbath, (easily my favorite due to the participation of Boris Karloff.).
In Forbidden Empire, a young English cartographer Jonathan Green (Jason Flemyng) takes to the road after being chased out of the house by his lovers Father, played by Charles Dance, after being caught in bed with her.
Looking very much like a Terry Gilliam movie, with the frame over crowded with bizarre machinery, filthy looking characters in period costume (set in the 18th century) and lots of cgi monsters, Forbidden Empire is a beautiful film to behold and more than a little disjointed and episodic.
But like classic Russian fantasy films of the past such as Sword and the Dragon,...
In Forbidden Empire, a young English cartographer Jonathan Green (Jason Flemyng) takes to the road after being chased out of the house by his lovers Father, played by Charles Dance, after being caught in bed with her.
Looking very much like a Terry Gilliam movie, with the frame over crowded with bizarre machinery, filthy looking characters in period costume (set in the 18th century) and lots of cgi monsters, Forbidden Empire is a beautiful film to behold and more than a little disjointed and episodic.
But like classic Russian fantasy films of the past such as Sword and the Dragon,...
- 5/19/2015
- by Sam Moffitt
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Release details for Forbidden Empire and Doomsdays, along with a promo video for A&E's Damien and details on the horror short, Heir, are featured in our latest round-up.
Forbidden Empire: Starring Jason Flemyng (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) and Charles Dance (Game of Thrones), Forbidden Empire hits VOD on May 22nd:
"An 18th century explorer sets out on an epic journey to map the forbidden uncharted lands of Transylvania only to discover its dark secrets and dangerous creatures hidden in a cursed, fantastical forest."
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Doomsdays: A pre-apocalyptic comedy, Eddie Mullins' Doomsdays hits theaters on June 5th:
"A pre-apocalyptic comedy, Doomsdays follows the misadventures of Dirty Fred (Justin Rice) and Bruho (Leo Fitzpatrick), a pair of free-wheeling squatters with a taste for unoccupied vacation homes in the Catskills. Their commitment to the lifestyle is challenged, however, when a runaway teen and an aimless young woman join their peculiar tribe.
Forbidden Empire: Starring Jason Flemyng (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) and Charles Dance (Game of Thrones), Forbidden Empire hits VOD on May 22nd:
"An 18th century explorer sets out on an epic journey to map the forbidden uncharted lands of Transylvania only to discover its dark secrets and dangerous creatures hidden in a cursed, fantastical forest."
------------------
Doomsdays: A pre-apocalyptic comedy, Eddie Mullins' Doomsdays hits theaters on June 5th:
"A pre-apocalyptic comedy, Doomsdays follows the misadventures of Dirty Fred (Justin Rice) and Bruho (Leo Fitzpatrick), a pair of free-wheeling squatters with a taste for unoccupied vacation homes in the Catskills. Their commitment to the lifestyle is challenged, however, when a runaway teen and an aimless young woman join their peculiar tribe.
- 5/12/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Okay, this one requires a bit of a history lesson because it's been about 10 years since this film was announced. Forbidden Empire, the new fantasy film you see before you today, was originally intended to be a remake of the 1967 Russian film Viy, which was a fantasy/horror film based on the Nikolai Gogol story that takes place in early 18th century Russia.
The Russian tale is about a cartographer who undertakes a scientific journey from Europe to the East. After passing through Transylvania and crossing the Carpathian Mountains, he finds himself in a small village lost in impassible woods where [Continued ...]...
The Russian tale is about a cartographer who undertakes a scientific journey from Europe to the East. After passing through Transylvania and crossing the Carpathian Mountains, he finds himself in a small village lost in impassible woods where [Continued ...]...
- 5/7/2015
- QuietEarth.us
It has been some time since Russian director Oleg Stepchenko sat in the director's chair but he has returned after a long absence with the fantasy film Forbidden Empire. It's been a long (by which we mean loooooooooooooong) and winding road for this one, which began life as a remake of classic horror film Viy all the way back in 2005 before being extensively re-shot and reverse engineered into its current form. eOne will be releasing the film on VOD on May 22nd. Now a new international trailer for the film has dropped. I was pleasantly surprised by the level of art direction and special effects. Stepchenko has a long career in production design for music videos and stage productions in Russia. It looks good. This...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 4/23/2015
- Screen Anarchy
Film will focus on Russian journalist and TV presenter Vladislav Listyev; Oliver Stone eyed as director.
Russian producers Alexander Kulikov (Marins Group Entertainment) and Oleg Teterin (Teterin Film) are planning to make a feature film, Listyev – Hope is The Last To Die, about the prominent Russian journalist and TV presenter Vladislav Listyev who was murdered by unknown assassins on March 1, 1995.
According to Teterin, they are considering Oliver Stone along with Russian film-makers as a possible candidate to serve as the film’s director.
“We hope that the participation in a project of such significance for Russia as a film about Vladislav Listyev will be a natural way for Oliver Stone to continue strengthening his cinematic ties with Russia,” said Teterin whose company last year acquired the rights to Stone’s The Untold Story Of The United States which was later broadcast on Russia’s First Channel.
Established screenwriters and debutants are now invited to enter a competition...
Russian producers Alexander Kulikov (Marins Group Entertainment) and Oleg Teterin (Teterin Film) are planning to make a feature film, Listyev – Hope is The Last To Die, about the prominent Russian journalist and TV presenter Vladislav Listyev who was murdered by unknown assassins on March 1, 1995.
According to Teterin, they are considering Oliver Stone along with Russian film-makers as a possible candidate to serve as the film’s director.
“We hope that the participation in a project of such significance for Russia as a film about Vladislav Listyev will be a natural way for Oliver Stone to continue strengthening his cinematic ties with Russia,” said Teterin whose company last year acquired the rights to Stone’s The Untold Story Of The United States which was later broadcast on Russia’s First Channel.
Established screenwriters and debutants are now invited to enter a competition...
- 3/10/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
German distributor picks ip Love At First Fight (Les Combattants) [pictured], October Gale, Cabin Fever: Reboot and Viy,
Tiberius Film has acquired four films at the Efm.
The German independent distributor has picked up Thomas Cailley’s romantic comedy Love At First Fight (Les Combattants), which has just been nominated for nine César 2015 awards, and Ruba Nadda’s thriller October Gale which premiered at Toronto 2014 and stars Patricia Clarkson, Scott Speedman and Tim Roth.
Travis Zariwny’s Cabin Fever: Reboot, written by the writer-director of the original film Eli Roth, and Oleg Stepchenko’s Russian box office hit Viy have also been acquired by Tiberius Film.
Wolfgang Carl, managing director of Tiberius Film GmbH, commented: “The Efm is always a very good forum for us to discover exciting and promising movies. We are very excited that our acquisitions have begun so well this year. Our new films include a variety of highlights for all target groups...
Tiberius Film has acquired four films at the Efm.
The German independent distributor has picked up Thomas Cailley’s romantic comedy Love At First Fight (Les Combattants), which has just been nominated for nine César 2015 awards, and Ruba Nadda’s thriller October Gale which premiered at Toronto 2014 and stars Patricia Clarkson, Scott Speedman and Tim Roth.
Travis Zariwny’s Cabin Fever: Reboot, written by the writer-director of the original film Eli Roth, and Oleg Stepchenko’s Russian box office hit Viy have also been acquired by Tiberius Film.
Wolfgang Carl, managing director of Tiberius Film GmbH, commented: “The Efm is always a very good forum for us to discover exciting and promising movies. We are very excited that our acquisitions have begun so well this year. Our new films include a variety of highlights for all target groups...
- 2/6/2015
- by ian.sandwell@screendaily.com (Ian Sandwell)
- ScreenDaily
We caught our first look at Oleg Stepchenko’s big budget remake of the classic Russian horror pic Viy well over a year and a half ago and since then the release date has slipped more times than we can recall. Now finally with the official site just going live, it really looks like we might be one step closer to actually seeing the damn thing! According to the latest poster the pics release date is now set for March 09, a date that coincides with the bi-centenary of Nikolai (author of the book the film is based on) Gogol's birthday. Treats to see on site include: production notes, interviews, photos galleries, storyboards, and two fantastic looking trailers. Enjoy.
- 11/22/2008
- 24framespersecond.net
We caught our first look at Oleg Stepchenko’s big budget remake of the classic Russian horror pic Viy well over a year and a half ago and since then the release date has slipped more times than we can recall. Now finally with the official site just going live, it really looks like we might be one step closer to actually seeing the damn thing! According to the latest poster the pics release date is now set for March 09, a date that coincides with the bi-centenary of Nikolai (author of the book the film is based on) Gogol's birthday. Treats to see on site include: production notes, interviews, photos galleries, storyboards, and two fantastic looking trailers. Enjoy.
- 11/22/2008
- 24framespersecond.net
It has been a few years since we last heard anything about the remake of "Viy" directed by Oleg Stepchenko, but finally something showed up that should please all English-speaking horror fans. Twitch got its hands on the English language version of the "Viy" trailer! Check it out below. "Early 18th century. Cartographer Jonathan Green undertakes a scientific voyage from Europe to the East. Having passed through Transylvania and crossed the Carpathian Mountains, he finds himself in a small village lost in impassible woods. Nothing but chance and heavy fog could bring him to this cursed place. People who live here do not resemble any other people which the traveler saw before that. The villagers, having dug a deep moat to defend themselves from the rest of the world, share a naive...
- 11/5/2008
- www.ohmygore.com/
It has been a few years since we last heard anything about the remake of Viy (official site) directed by Oleg Stepchenko, but finally something showed up that should please all English-speaking horror fans.
Twitch got its hands on the English language version of the Viy trailer! Check it out below.
"Early 18th century. Cartographer Jonathan Green undertakes a scientific voyage from Europe to the East. Having passed through Transylvania and crossed the Carpathian Mountains, he finds himself in a small village lost in impassible woods. Nothing but chance and heavy fog could bring him to this cursed place. People who live here do not resemble any other people which the traveler saw before that. The villagers, having dug a deep moat to defend themselves from the rest of the world, share a naive belief that they could save themselves from evil, failing to understand that evil has made its...
Twitch got its hands on the English language version of the Viy trailer! Check it out below.
"Early 18th century. Cartographer Jonathan Green undertakes a scientific voyage from Europe to the East. Having passed through Transylvania and crossed the Carpathian Mountains, he finds himself in a small village lost in impassible woods. Nothing but chance and heavy fog could bring him to this cursed place. People who live here do not resemble any other people which the traveler saw before that. The villagers, having dug a deep moat to defend themselves from the rest of the world, share a naive belief that they could save themselves from evil, failing to understand that evil has made its...
- 10/30/2008
- by Kryten Syxx
- DreadCentral.com
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