'Detective Chinatown 3' assembles cast of Asian megastars
- By Zhang Rui
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E-mail China.org.cn, January 16, 2020
The new film in the "Detective Chinatown" franchise boasts some of Asia's biggest movie stars and is the most anticipated film during the upcoming Spring Festival.
"Detective Chinatown 3," written and directed again by Chen Sicheng, stars Chinese actors Wang Baoqiang, Liu Haoran, Xiao Yang; Japanese actors Satoshi Tsumabuki, Masami Nagasawa, Shôta Sometani, Honami Suzuki, Tadanobu Asano, Tomokazu Miura as well as Thai kung fu star Tony Jaa.
The story is set in Tokyo, where the movie franchise's Chinese detective duo (played by Wang Baoqiang and Liu Haoran) and their friends embark on a new adventure. In this latest film, the pair will unite with Japanese detectives to solve new mysteries and the movie will finally reveal the identity of the mysterious mastermind Q.
The film no doubt features diverse and appealing elements of comedy, action and suspense again, which will meet Chinese audiences' expectations for family entertainment during the Chinese Lunar New Year holiday.
The first "Detective Chinatown" surprisingly grossed 818 million yuan ($129.31 million) in 2015, so the second installment upgraded its scale. It had a production budget of over 400 million yuan and eventually grossed a staggering $544 million worldwide in 2018.
An unusual press conference with a massive banquet to promote the third installment was held on Tuesday night where the main cast and the director met and greeted the producers, investors, distributors, promoters and merchandise collaborators. Through flashback videos and speeches by the creative team, the event also took a look back at the past glory days and behind-the-scenes moments during the five years spent in making the trilogy.
"Every laugh we had and every emotion we experienced are our shared memories," director Chen said. "They are way more important than any box office records and awards." He didn't hide his ambition to put the franchise on a bigger map by casting so many big movie stars, especially the Japanese actors this time.
For example, Japanese actress Honami Suzuki is a big name in China as many Chinese people loved her role as Rika in the Fuji TV television adaptation of Fumi Saimon's manga "Tokyo Love Story" (1991). Chen, who wrote, directed and acted in a hit TV series with a similar title, "Beijing Love Story" (2012), admitted he was a big fan of Suzuki. Chen said that by including her in the cast, his dream had come true and her presence in the movie would surely trigger a wave of nostalgia among viewers. Suzuki shared kind words and impressions about the director at the press conference, calling him "gentle."
The director said that he does not plan to direct any more "Detective Chinatown" films in the future but will remain its producer. Chen also added that he has good future plans for the franchise, and will develop it into a universe where other detectives, rather than the main detective duo, could also have their stories told.
His first move to expand the "Detective Chinatown" universe was to make a new internet-broadcast TV series, which has since received positive feedback from audiences after its debut on Jan. 1, 2020. The TV series would help boost the film franchise and enrich its characters.
It is worth noting that "Detective Chinatown 3" is entirely shot with the revolutionary IMAX digital cameras, which gives the audience a more immersive movie experience. This makes it Asia's second and the world's fourth blockbuster to achieve this since Marvel's "Avengers: Infinity War" started the trend.
"Detective Chinatown 3" will hit Chinese theaters on Jan. 25, 2020, during the Chinese Spring Festival holiday and is set to break new box office records. The film's producer Wanda Pictures also struck deals with Warner Bros. to release the film in the United States on the same day, and Trinity Cineasia will handle the movie's U.K. release.
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