Jackie Chan tries to reinvent himself with Adrien Brody
- By Zhang Rui
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E-mail China.org.cn, July 27, 2014
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Stills of "Dragon Blade" |
The most expensive Chinese epic is currently being filmed in the suburbs of Dunhuang, where the action megastar Jackie Chan is trying to reinvent himself with Academy Award-winning Adrien Brody.
Directed by Daniel Lee, Chan's latest project "Dragon Blade" is inspired by a missing legion of Roman soldiers that traveled into China in 48 B.C.
Chan plays the commander of the Protection Squad of the Western Regions during the Han Dynasty. Brody and another Hollywood star, John Cusack, play Roman warriors. There are nearly 1,000 people working on the desert set.
"I understand audiences love what I did in “Drunken Master” (1978), but I cannot do it forever," Chan said, "I have always been trying to transform myself, but I have been afraid audiences would not approve. But when I did “CZ12” and “Police Story 2013,” I found audiences still loved them. So this time, “Dragon Blade” will surprise you even more and you will see a brand new Jackie Chan and a brand new film."
Chan was recently directing Adrien Brody as action choreographer. "We had auditions and decided on an actor for the role that Brody is playing," Chan remembered, "But one day he texted me wanting to collaborate with me. I invited him to a dinner and after that, he said, 'I believe in you, whatever you said.'" So Brody was brought in the cast.
The Kung Fu star said they prepared for the film for seven years and director Daniel Lee polished the script time and time again. "This is the film I want to do, it will be great," he said.
"Dragon Blade" is scheduled to be released on Feb 19, 2015 during Spring Festival, and has a budget of US$65 million, the most expensive Chinese-language film ever. The cast also includes South Korea's Choi Si-won, member of the K-pop band Super Junior.
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