News

Hong Kong action-thriller The Prosecutor, directed by and starring Donnie Yen, has been acquired for North America by Well Go USA from Mandarin Motion Pictures.

The upcoming feature will be released in theatres across North America on January 10, just two weeks after its scheduled debut in China and Hong Kong on December 27.

Inspired by a true case in Hong Kong, the story follows a man who falsely pleads guilty after being framed for drug trafficking, under pressure from both his defense attorney and a notorious crime syndicate. Yen plays the hard-nosed policeman-turned-prosecutor who risks both his career and his life to uncover the truth,...

"One wrongful judgment can destroy and entire family!" Mandarin Motion Pictures has revealed an official trailer for a Chinese legal thriller film called The Prosecutor, starring Donnie Yen in the lead role. This intense action thriller is set for a release in China and Hong Kong at the end of December this year. Though there's still no US release set yet - sometime early in 2025. A poor young man is wrongly charged with drug trafficking after being deceived. An ex-prosecutor investigates this case, uncovers a corrupt lawyer team's scheme, and restores justice despite obstruction from evil forces. Donnie Yen stars as the prosecutor Fok - who risks his life and career to uncover the truth and bring the real culprit to justice. The film also stars Francis Ng, Kent Cheng, Julian Cheung, and Adam Pak. Featuring action sequences by co-star Kang Yu, Donnie Yen, and action extraordinare Kenji Tanigaki. It's...

Hong Kong martial arts legend Sammo Hung, prolific Japanese martial arts actor Yasuaki Kurata and action director Kenji Tanigaki discussed martial arts cinema and shared behind-the-scenes anecdotes together in Tokyo.

They appeared as part of a panel titled “Martial Arts on the Silver Screen: Past, Present, and Future” during Tiffcom, the market held alongside the Tokyo International Film Festival.

“I’ve done martial arts since I was young, learned from different masters and then worked very hard to return this blessing,” said Hung. “The essence of martial arts in Hong Kong is its spirit and our work ethic. We really invested ourselves fully in our film work and we want to convey this spirit to the next generation.”

Hung is a pivotal figure in Hong Kong cinema, appearing in more than 200 films and elevating the territory’s martial arts genre.

He recently starred in Soi Cheang’s Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In,...

Veteran action movie ace Sammo Hung, Japanese actor Kurata Yasuaki and action choreographer-turned director Tanigaki Kenji had a ball on Thursday in Tokyo as they took a light-hearted trip down memory lane to discuss the state of martial art action movies from Hong Kong.

In a panel discussion held in the confines of Tiffcom, the rights market aligned with the Tokyo International Film Festival, the three were seemingly selected to represent the past, present and future of the genre.

“Hong Kong’s place in the film world is well deserved. We worked so hard for it,” said Hung. “Nobody paid attention to us for ages, so we could do what we liked. Then, finally, our time came.”

Hung (real name Hung Kam-bo) has over 250 film credits according to the Internet Movie Database in roles ranging from actor and stuntman to producer and director. These include “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In,...

Oh my gods, I need The Furious injected into my eyeballs, right, freaking now! Already one of my most anticipated films of 2025 the Pan-Asian action film, directed by Kenji Tanigaki and produced by the legendary Bill Kong, recently wrapped up production in Thailand. Two first look photos went out today in the trades this morning and we can share them with you now.    (The Furious) follows a simple tradesman (portrayed by mainland Chinese star Xie Miao) who fights his way through a complex web of criminals and evil agents in a frantic attempt to win back his kidnapped daughter by any means necessary.   There were two seperate articles in Variety today, one a set visit, the other the official announcement. I love...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Japanese director Tanigaki Kenji has completed production in Bangkok, Thailand, on his upcoming film “The Furious,” intended as an elite-level Asian martial arts actioner.

Written by Mak Tin Shu, the film follows a simple tradesman (portrayed by mainland Chinese star Xie Miao) who fights his way through a complex web of criminals and evil agents in a frantic attempt to win back his kidnapped daughter by any means necessary.

(For full Bangkok set report see here.)

Produced by the region’s top producer Bill Kong, Frank Hui and Shan Tam, the film features a pan-Asian cast that also includes Indonesian’s Joe Taslim, Thai star Jeeja Yanin (“Chocolate”), Yang Enyu, Brian Le, Joey Iwanaga and Yayan Ruhian.

Michael J. Werner, former principal at Fortissimo Films, joins Todd Brown and Aram Tertzakian of XYZ Films as an executive producer.

Kong’s Edko Films is financing the movie and will distribute in Hong Kong,...

The “police station” built in a few days from an old retail unit in Surawong, central Bangkok, is so realistic from the outside that several pedestrians stop and stare, perhaps wondering if this is the place they should come to report some petty crime in the adjacent Patpong red light district.

Inside, the building’s temporary reality as a set for the martial arts action movie “The Furious” is quickly revealed. Among the scuffed and rusting gray metal desks, the ground floor has all the trappings of an active and dow- at-heel cop shop. There are notices on every wall: wanted posters, mission statements, job ads and regulations. But the giveaway — revealing that the film is set in an unnamed part of Southeast Asia, rather than any specific country — is that the background verbiage is largely in English. And that in between the police paraphernalia there are piles of lighting...

Well Go USA has shared the official trailer and poster for Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, which will open in North American theaters on August 9, 2024.

Many years after the bloody turf war that ushered in an uneasy era of peace in Hong Kong’s underworld, the notorious Kowloon Walled City serves as a fortified, lawless haven for gangs and refugees alike.

But when a skilled underground fighter runs afoul of the most feared Triad boss in Hong Kong, a bounty is placed on his head despite his connections to the leader of the infamous enclave.

As his pursuers violate the tenuous territorial truce to exact their vengeance, the fallout reignites old grudges, bringing decades of building tension to a brutal, bloody boiling point.

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In stars Louis Koo, Raymond Lam, Terrance Lau, Philip Ng, Tony Wu Tsz Tung, German Cheung, Richie Jen, Wong Tak Pun Kenny,...

Trinity CineAsia has acquired UK and Ireland rights to Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In, the Hong Kong period action drama that will screen at Cannes next month, in a deal with Media Asia.

Directed by Soi Cheang, the highly anticipated feature is set to be released in Hong Kong and China on May 1 before it plays in the Midnight Screenings section of Cannes. An opening date in the UK and Ireland has yet to be announced but Trinity CineAsia said it is “scheduled for release across cinemas nationwide soon after” the festival, which runs May 14-25.

Distribution deals were...

Yesterday Variety broke news that legendary Hong Kong producer Bill Kong has started production on a new action film called The Furious in Bangkok, Thailand, and he's enlisted the help of some of Asia's leading action talent. Like, the best of the best. The Furious will be directed by Japanese stunt director and action choreographer Tanigaki Kenji. His Pan-Asian cast includes former Chinese child actor and action star Xie Miao, Indonesia’s Joe Taslim (The Raid: Redemption), Thailand’s Jeeja Yanin (Chocolate), Yang Enyu and Indonesia’s Yayan Ruhian (The Raid: Redmeption). That's a lot of heavy hitters. Here's the scoop from Variety, of what to expect...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Bill Kong is cautious, vastly experienced and has an impeccable reputation as a key gateway between Hollywood and China to maintain. He is someone far more likely to deadpan than gush.

So, to hear him getting into high gear with a pitch for his bucket list martial arts movie project “The Furious” immediately invites comparison with previous Kong-produced action pictures including Oscar-winner “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Jet Li’s Fearless” or the Zhang Yimou-directed “Hero.”

“I’m going to do an action movie that rocks the world. And to prove that Hong Kong still has something to give the film industry. I want to show that Asian people can still make an action movie that is better than the rest of the world,” Kong tells Variety.

Significantly, “The Furious” is a project made by Hong Kong, rather than made in Hong Kong. Kong’s Edko Films is financing and producing.

Singer and actor Richie Ren is no stranger when it comes to Hong Kong cinema, as he is best known for his stand out performance in Johnnie To's “Breaking News” (2004) and later in “Trivisa” (2015). In “Fierce Cop”, a Mainland online film streaming on Youku video platform is his first venture into the martial arts genre.

Set in country M, somewhere in Southeast Asia, there lives Zhang Tu, a middle aged single parent with a young son, Xiao Jie, who is also a hard working detective. He always asks his boss for a promotion so he can be a better role model for his son who is everything to him. One day, his son comes back from school in pain and covered with bruises, obviously a victim of bullying at school. After finding out that a bunch of young adults are responsible, he sets out to teach them a lesson by beating them up.

Lawrence Kan’s newsroom drama In Broad Daylight leads the pack going into the 42nd Hong Kong Film Awards with 16 nominations.

The feature, which follows an undercover journalist who exposes the abuse of residents in a nursing home, secured nods in all but three of the 19 categories. It marks the second feature by Kan and proved the fourth highest grossing local film in 2023.

Scroll down for full list of nominations

Also gaining multiple nominations was Nick Cheuk’s emotive drama Time Still Turns The Pages and Felix Chong’s financial crime extravaganza The Goldfinger, which secured 12 nods apiece, while Jack Ng...

The Action Scene is a column that explores the construction of action set pieces in order to deepen appreciation for and spark discussion about action cinema.The following column examines my fifteen favorite action scenes of 2023. In their variety, virtuosity, and visceral power, they embody the vibrancy of contemporary action cinema. Like last year’s roundup, the focus is on action scenes—relatively sustained, heightened, self-contained expressions of action filmmaking craft—so some otherwise strong action films didn’t make the cut, and not all of the films featured here are necessarily compelling beyond their set pieces. All included films made their official, non-festival, US theatrical and/or streaming debut in 2023. For the sake of variety, I’ve limited myself to one scene per film.And now, on to the action. As with previous years, these scenes have been grouped by theme to foreground patterns and enhance ease of perusal.

Action icon Donnie Yen returns to the director’s chair for the first time in nearly two decades, while also playing the lead role, in the martial arts wuxia adventure Sakra. Based on the classic wuxia novel Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils by Louis Cha (known worldwide by his pen name Jin Yong), the film stars Yen as Qiao Feng, respected leader of a roving band of martial artists called the Beggars’ Sect. After he’s wrongfully accused of murder and subsequently exiled, Qiao Feng goes on the run in search of answers about his own mysterious origin story—and the unknown enemies working to destroy him from the shadows. With action direction by Kenji Tanigaki, Sakra also stars Yuqi Chen, Eddie Cheung, and Yase Liu.

Sakra is available on Blu-ray and DVD on June 13.

Enter for your chance to win a Blu-ray of Sakra, courtesy of Well Go USA. Five (5) winners will be selected at random.

The last wuxia film Yen starred in was “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny” (2016), since, although he was in “New Kung Fu Cult Master Part One” (2022) it was only a cameo. Now he is back as the leading man, producer and director in “Sakra”, a wuxia epic which is adapted from Jin Yong's (Louis Cha) novel “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils” which deals with the Eight Races of Buddhist deities of the Buddhist cosmology. The Chinese title is loosely translated as “The Eight Books of the Heavenly Dragon: Qiao Feng Legacy.”

“Sakra” will debut on Blu-ray and DVD starting June 13 from Well Go USA.

Set during the time in which the Han Chinese dominated and the Song Dynasty is at war with the Liao Empire led by the Khitan race, Jin Yong's complex and long story involves three main protagonists plus a huge collection of flamboyant characters and their explorations...

Every great hero needs great villains, so Director Chad Stahelski stacked the deck with the world’s leading action stars when it came time to check back in to action cinema’s Continental. John Wick (Keanu Reeves) demands opponents that can match the badassery of his franchise; and real life martial artists that can act. No other director today has such a keen eye for stunts and fight choreography as Stahelski. Assembling a cast of the heaviest hitters in Hollywood is the only way John Wick: Chapter 4 could level up. For any fan of the action genre, the names of Donnie Yen, Scott Adkins, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Marko Zaror instill massive respect. They all have extensive filmographies packed with thrilling action.

The John Wick tetralogy is also Stahelski’s first directorial effort and it’s designed for action. Creating roles that spotlights the superhuman talents of his cast was a collaborative effort,...

The last wuxia film Yen starred in was “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny” (2016), since, although he was in “New Kung Fu Cult Master Part One” (2022) it was only a cameo. Now he is back as the leading man, producer and director in “Sakra”, a wuxia epic which is adapted from Jin Yong’s (Louis Cha) novel “Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils” which deals with the Eight Races of Buddhist deities of the Buddhist cosmology. The Chinese title is loosely translated as “The Eight Books of the Heavenly Dragon: Qiao Feng Legacy.”

Set during the time in which the Han Chinese dominated and the Song Dynasty is at war with the Liao Empire led by the Khitan race, Jin Yong’s complex and long story involves three main protagonists plus a huge collection of flamboyant characters and their explorations in the wulin (martial arts community), but Qiao Feng is the only one Yen concentrates on.

Period action adventure led by ‘Ip Man’ star Donnie Yen.

Well Go USA Entertainment has acquired North America distribution rights to Sakra, the latest wuxia action feature led by martial arts star Donnie Yen.

Well Go, which has previously distributed Yen’s hit Ip Man films, plans to release Sakra in select theatres this spring. The deal was struck with Mandarin Motion Pictures on behalf of the filmmakers.

Based on the classic wuxia novel Demi-Gods And Semi-Devils by Louis Cha (known worldwide by his pen name Jin Yong), it marks the first time Yen has stepped back into a directorial role in nearly two decades.

“Anita,” the biopic of the late Canto-pop queen Anita Mui, led the race of the 40th Hong Kong Film Awards on Sunday night with five awards, including recognitions for the film’s actors and technical achievements. But the best film and best director awards went to action thriller “Raging Fire” directed by the late Benny Chan.

Sunday’s event, which was postponed from its original schedule in April, was the first in-person edition of the awards ceremony after two years of Covid hiatus — the 2020 edition was held online and 2021 was suspended.

The number of films released in Hong Kong has dramatically dropped over the past years as cinemas were forced to close doors for prolonged periods under the government’s Covid measures. As a result, this year’s event was a double edition taking in films released in both 2020 and 2021.

As the first Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony held in...

Other big winners were biopic ’Anita’ and noir thriller ’Limbo’.

Action thriller Raging Fire has won best film and best director for the late Benny Chan at the 40th Hong Kong Film Awards (Hkfa). Other big winners were biopic Anita and noir thriller Limbo.

The event took place last night (July 17) as the Hkfa’s first in-person ceremony since 2019 and was well attended by stars and leading film industry figures.

Scroll down for full list of winners

Raging Fire, in which Donnie Yen plays a cop who clashes with a former protege, marked the final film of veteran director Chan,...

Raging Fire, starring and produced by Donnie Yen, was awarded best film and best director for late action maestro Benny Chan at the Hong Kong Film Awards (Hkfa) on Sunday night. The ceremony took place at Kowloon Bay International Trade & Exhibition Centre, the first time it had been held as a fully-fledged, in-person event since 2019.

Produced by Emperor Motion Pictures, Raging Fire was a rare pandemic-era hit in Hong Kong and China last year, and lauded as a welcome throwback to old school Hong Kong-style action movies. The film took four awards in total, also including best editing (Curran Pang) and best action choreography.

Benny Chan, one of Hong Kong’s most acclaimed action directors, was diagnosed with cancer while making the film, leading to Yen taking over during post-production. In a moving moment during the Hkfa ceremony, Hong Kong...

Following the success of the original, Sion Sono also headed the sequel, once more basing his film on Ken Wakui’s manga. Although the flamboyance and intense action is still here, there is a change towards the most dramatic this time, something that definitely benefits the movie.

on Amazon

The story begins one year after the death of Hideyoshi, with Burst having to deal with intense financial problems, since they have already recruited almost every girl they could in Shinjuku. To avoid downsizing in scouter personnel, they instead decide to expand to Yokohama, where the All Japan Liquor Merchants Association announces plans to open a new gentleman’s club. To start the expansion, boss Yamashiro picks Seki and Tatsuhiko. The former however, is actually a Yokohama native who once took the fall for a murder rap for his friend Taki and has avoided Yokohama for 12 years for this purpose.

Another year, another bountiful crop of action filmmaking. The following article covers some of the best. Like with last year’s installment, the focus will be on action scenes—compact, heightened expressions of action filmmaking craft—rather than films as a whole, which means that some otherwise strong, action-adjacent pictures may be missing and a couple included films look fairly lackluster beyond their set pieces. For the sake of variety, I have limited myself to one scene per film, and all featured films made their official, non-festival, U.S. theatrical and/or streaming debut in 2021. The criterion of “official” excludes the Chinese direct-to-YouTube actioner One More Shot, which was removed after just a few days online. Whenever the film receives a more “legitimate” stateside debut, it will almost certainly be included in that year’s roundup. And now, to the action. The scenes have been organized into loose thematic...

Probably one of the best years for action/martial arts cinema lately, 2021 saw a number of truly impressive titles coming out, as China’s blockbusters seem to be getting better, followed by the Korean ones, Japanese manga adaptations continue to be on a very high-level, at least production level-wise and Asean countries keep on producing some of the most interesting in the category through the combination of social commentary and exploitation elements. Furthermore, a number of movies that do not fall in any of the aforementioned groups but are of equal quality, rounded up a truly great year for Asian genre.

Without further ado, here are the best Asian martial arts/action films of 2021, in reverse order. Some films may have premiered in 2019, but since they mostly circulated in 2021, we decided to include them.

15. Rurouni Kenshin: The Final (Keishi Ohtomo)

On the other hand, the action element is top notch,...

The New York Asian Film Foundation and Film at Lincoln Center have announced two final titles, completing the lineup for the upcoming 20th edition of the New York Asian Film Festival (Nyaff). The festival will be screening over 70 films, both virtually and in person, to audiences in New York and across the country from August 6 – 22, 2021. Tickets are already on sale.

Nyaff is thrilled to present as its festival Centerpiece the international premiere of Nyaff favorite director Benny Chan’s final work, Raging Fire. Completed shortly before his untimely death in August 2020, the Hong Kong-Chinese action film stars the inimitable Donnie Yen as Shan, a by-the-book cop whose past returns to haunt him. After a sting operation goes disastrously awry, Shan finds himself pitted against Ngo (Nicholas Tse), a former protégé who has turned criminal mastermind and is out for revenge. Nothing, it seems, can stop him, including his former mentor.

The Donnie Yen-starring action thriller “Raging Fire” will open in North American theaters on Aug. 13, its distributor Well Go USA Entertainment announced Friday.

The film is the final project of the late iconic Hong Kong film director Benny Chan, who passed away last summer. Chan was beloved for action films like “The White Storm” and Jackie Chan pictures like “New Police Story.”

“Raging Fire” will screen ahead of its broader theatrical outing on Aug. 9 as the Centerpiece film selection of the New York Asian Film Festival (Nyaff). Later this year, it will land on the martial arts streaming channel Hi-yah!, prior to its physical and digital release.

“We have been long-time champions of both the late director Benny Chan’s work and Donnie Yen,” said Nyaff executive director Samuel Jamier. “The Centerpiece presentation is the keystone event of Nyaff, representing the tone and unique spirit of our festival, which...

Distributor Well Go USA Entertainment has acquired the North American rights to “Raging Fire,” the latest action thriller featuring martial arts superstar Donnie Yen.

The pic is set to hit U.S. theaters later this year before landing on martial arts streaming channel Hi-yah!.

“Raging Fire” is the final title from the late Hong Kong helmer Benny Chan, who passed away last August. He was best known for action and martial arts works, including crime thriller “The White Storm,” 2011’s “Shaolin, and Jackie Chan pictures “New Police Story” and “Robin B-Hood.”

It was produced by Emperor Film Production, Tencent Pictures and Super Bullet Pictures.

Yen, known for his roles in Disney’s live-action “Mulan” and the “Ip Man” franchises, appears alongside actors Patrick Tan, Nicholas Tse, Jeana Ho, and Ray Liu (“Flash Point”).

“We are thrilled to team up with Emperor, Tencent and Super Bullet Pictures to bring ‘Raging Fire’ to North American audiences,...

One of the most anticipated movies of the last few years, particularly for fans of the “Rurouni Kenshin”-franchise, was the movie based on the final chapter of both the manga and the anime, which, in the original, concludes the story, in the most dramatic, but also the most magnificent way. Unfortunately, once more, a Netflix production went for impression rather than substance. Let us take things from the beginning though.

Wu Heishin, a man supposedly from Shanghai, arrives in Tokyo, only to be revealed a bit later, that his sole purpose is to exact revenge from Himura Kenshin, due to some events that took place between Battousai and his sister, Tomoe, in the past. Hajime Saito arrests the newcomer after a violent incident in the train that brought him, but a commercial agreement between Japan and China forces him to let him go. As Wu Heishin’s gang begins...

The martial arts genre has been in a significant decline for many years now, with just a few entries here and there over the years, reminding us of its existence essentially, although gems like The Raid, Jailbreak etc occasionally come to the fore. A number of Asian martial arts superstars have already moved to Hollywood or other countries in the west, with the same applying to the action stars, at least those who have not moved to China. The Chinese industry releases action blockbusters quite frequently, most of which, however, are of doubtful quality, to say the least, with the combination of the aforementioned, making the current list one of the most difficult to compile. Nevertheless, 10 films were found in the end, although a number of them are mostly here for the impressiveness of the action scenes and not their quality overall.

Without further ado, here are the best Asian...

The eyes of the world were pointed at Donnie Yen after the end of the spectacular “Ip Man” saga. His choice of an action comedy as a follow-up might be seen as a bit of a surprise, but “Enter the Fat Dragon” blends the well-known elements, like the breath-taking, laws-of-physics-defying action, humor, references and a bit of covert social commentary into an efficient time-killer about the good cops, bad cops and even worse gangsters in Hong Kong and Tokyo. It premiered in the Chinese New Year slot earlier this year, but its theatrical run was impaired by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, this type of film is equally suitable for video formats, where we also caught it.

The title is taken from the cult Sammo Hung’s 1978 action-comedy about an overweight Bruce Lee fan getting involved in a fight with a gang of thugs that threaten his family,...

International martial arts icon Donnie Yen [“Ip Man,” “Mulan (2020)”, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”] is back in the action-comedy Enter The Fat Dragon, “a hilarious, hyper-paced, rock-em sock-em blast of a movie!” (Ultimate Action Movies) debuting on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD July 14 from Well Go USA Entertainment. The film chronicles the events that transformed super-fit super-cop Fallon Zhu (Yen) into a records clerk with a major snack cake habit—and one shot to regain his job and his fiancée.

A hilarious parody of Bruce Lee’s 1972 film “Way of the Dragon” and a reimagining of the popular comedy martial arts film starring Sammo Hung, Enter The Fat Dragon was directed by Kenji Tanigaki (“Legend of Seven Monks”) and costars Teresa Mo (“Hard Boiled”), Niki Chow (“Heavenly Mission”) and Wong Jing (“Kung Fu Mahjong”).

Synopsis:

Enter The Fat Dragon is a hilarious chronicle of the events that transformed super-fit...

China’s streaming and online games companies have received a boost from the cancelation of seven major film releases that were expected to have dominated the Chinese New Year holidays, and the enforced closure of the country’s cinemas.

Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, and a dozen other Chinese cities are under government-mandated lockdown, causing tens of millions of people to cancel their travel plans and stay at home instead. That has handed the initiative to streaming companies.

Social media postings suggest that millions of people are stuck at home – some in cities under lockdown, others simply benefiting from the extra three days holiday mandated by the Chinese government – playing games and watching movies online.

The New York-traded shares of games and online entertainment firms have defied the recent stock market downturns and made modest gains. Streamer iQIYI closed the Thursday trading session at $22.43 per Adr, compared with $20.80 on Friday.

Production has got under way in Japan on “G.I. Joe” spinoff “Snake Eyes.” Featuring “Crazy Rich Asian” star Henry Golding, the actioner is a Paramount Pictures, Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures, and Skydance presentation, in association with Hasbro, of a di Bonaventura Pictures Production.

Selected members of the cast and key crew received a traditional blessing at the Hie-Jinja Shrine in Tokyo on Friday, before the before shooting. Cast in attendance at the ceremony included Golding, Andrew Koji, Haruka Abe, Iko Uwais, Takehiro Hira, and director Robert Schwentke (“The Captain”). “Ready or Not” star, Samara Weaving recently joined the cast, but was not at the temple.

Executive producers Jeff Waxman and Erik Howsam, and stunt coordinator Kenji Tanigaki were also at the ceremony. Evan Spiliotopoulos, who wrote “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Huntsman: Winter’s War,” penned the script.

Title character, Snake Eyes is a ninja commando who dresses in all black,...

Based on the homonymous and extremely popular samurai-themed manga (by Nobuhiro Watsuki) and anime, this live-action trilogy is the one that actually instigated the phenomenon of elaborate adaptations, particularly because it was one of the first (and one of the most successful) to make evident that in order for these kind of movies to actually work, a large budget is a necessity.

In case you do not know the story (shame on you btw), the trilogy revolves around the adventures of Himura Kenshin, a ronin who has abolished his past as an assassin (under the name of Hitokiri Battosai) of the shogunate, after the Imperialist forces won the battle of Toba-Fushimi. As the first film begins, ten years have passed and Kenshin now wanders around carrying a katana with a reverse blade, essentially deeming it useless as a murder weapon, since he has vowed not to kill again.

After the commercial success of Sion Sono’s manga adaptation “Shinjuku swan” was – racking in 1.33 billion yen, it should not come as a surprise that a sequel would follow. But this time, besides Sion Sono returning to the director’s seat, the highly acclaimed Japanese action director Kenji Tanigaki, best known by his work for the “Rurouni Kenshin trilogy”, was attracted to help choreographing the narrative’s fighting sequences. While this focus on fighting might be an interesting addition, we cannot help but wonder if “Shinjuku Swan II” is a worthy sequel or just a cheap cash-in.

“Shinjuku Swan II” screened at San Diego Asian Film Festival

A year after Hideyoshi has died, Tatsuhiko (Gou Ayano) is still a successful scout in the rather happy world of eroticism thriving in the Kabuchiko area. But things are different now, as the members of the scouting network have changed a lot and...

With the final wave of programming, the 2018 edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival has now released its full lineup of over 125 features and 220 shorts, featuring the premieres of more than 100 cutting-edge visions from across the world. Fantasia’s brand new website, which has just gone online, details all films and events at this year’s festival.

The Fantasia International Film Festival takes place in Montreal July 12 – August 2 2018, once again returning to the mammoth Concordia Hall Cinema as its main base, with additional screens at the Cinémathèque québécoise and the McCord Museum.

Many juicy Asian titles (including several Premieres) can be found within the rich programme of this Canadian Festival. Let’s have a look at them:

Donnie Yen will School you in “Big Brother” (World Premiere)

Mixed martial arts meet high-school intrigue, with Hong Kong superhero Donnie Yen at the blackboard! The closing night festivities of Fantasia 2018 will begin...

The final wave of titles have just been announced for this year's Fantasia International Film Festival. If you thought the festival could not cram any more cinematic greatness into its schedule you only have to look below to see that they have found a way. So yesterday the genre world kind of lost its collective shit when the trailer dropped for Panos Cosmatos’ new film Mandy. Well, we can all check our calendars and figure out how to be in Montreal for the closing night of Fantasia as Mandy has been chosen to be the closing film of the festival! Also in this final wave are new films is Big Brother, the new film from God of War's Kenji Tanigaki, starring martial arts...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

The final wave of titles have just been announced for this year's Fantasia International Film Festival. If you thought the festival could not cram any more cinematic greatness into its schedule you only have to look below to see that they have found a way. So yesterday the genre world kind of lost its collective shit when the trailer dropped for Panos Cosmatos’ new film Mandy. Well, we can all check our calendars and figure out how to be in Montreal for the closing night of Fantasia as Mandy has been chosen to be the closing film of the festival! Also in this final wave are new films is Big Brother, the new film from God of War's Kenji Tanigaki, starring martial arts...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

The Fantasia International Film Festival gives genre fans even more to look forward to this summer in Montreal with the announcement of their final wave of programming, including the highly anticipated Mandy (starring Nicolas Cage) as the festival's closing movie:

Press Release: 28 June 2018, Montreal, Canada – With today’s final wave of programming, the 2018 edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival has now released its full lineup of over 125 features and 220 shorts, featuring the premieres of more than 100 cutting-edge visions from across the world. Fantasia’s brand new 2018 website, which has gone online today, details all films and events at this year’s festival.

The 2018 edition of Fantasia is immensely proud of its full lineup, which includes a record five features birthed from Frontières, its acclaimed film production market. They are Chained For Life, The Dark, Knuckleball, The Night Eats The World and The Ranger.

Fantasia’s 22nd edition will close...

The bloody Nicolas Cage-starring action-thriller Mandy, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, is set to close the Fantasia Film Festival, organizers said Thursday.

Writer-director Panos Cosmatos' second horror pic also stars Andrea Riseborough and Linus Roache. Rlje Films, which earlier picked up U.S. rights to Mandy, plans a theatrical release this summer.

North America's largest genre film festival, which on Thursday unveiled its final lineup titles, also announced a world premiere for the Donnie Yen-starrer Big Brother, directed by Kenji Tanigaki.  

There also will be North American bows for Takashi Miike's Laplace's Witch, Erick ...

The bloody Nicolas Cage-starring action-thriller Mandy, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, is set to close the Fantasia Film Festival, organizers said Thursday.

Writer-director Panos Cosmatos' second horror pic also stars Andrea Riseborough and Linus Roache. Rlje Films, which earlier picked up U.S. rights to Mandy, plans a theatrical release this summer.

North America's largest genre film festival, which on Thursday unveiled its final lineup titles, also announced a world premiere for the Donnie Yen-starrer Big Brother, directed by Kenji Tanigaki.  

There also will be North American bows for Takashi Miike's Laplace's Witch, Erick ...

Deal includes exclusive pay-tv, VoD and Ott rights in five Asian markets.

Pan-Asian broadcaster Celestial Tiger Entertainment (Cte) has renewed its exclusive, multi-year output deal with Hong Kong’s Mega-Vision Project Workshop (Mvp).

Under the terms of the deal, Cte has first and exclusive pay-tv rights, along with pay-per-view (PPV), video-on-demand (VOD) and over-the-top (Ott) rights, to Mvp’s upcoming movies in Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines.

Titles included in the deal include two upcoming action films starring Donnie Yen: Enter The Fat Dragon, directed by Kenji Tanigaki, and Kam Kar Wai’s Big Brother. The deal...

Hong Kong company is launching Enter The Fat Dragon and Master Of Ransom at the market.

Hong Kong’s Mega-Vision Project Workshop is launching two new high-profile action titles at Filmart: Kenji Tanigaki’s Enter The Fat Dragon, starring Donnie Yen, and Master Of Ransom with Tony Leung Ka-fai, Louis Koo, Gordon Lam and Simon Yam.

Yen plays a cop escorting a convict to Japan in Enter The Fat Dragon, which the star is also producing along with Wong Jing and Connie Wong. Currently shooting in Hong Kong, China and Japan, the film is produced by Bona Film Group, Mega-Vision,...

The Raid and The Raid 2: Berandal are arguably two of the best martial arts films to emerge in the last decade or so according to many fans of the genre. So when the director, Gareth Evans, praises the fight choreography of another martial arts film, it's probably a good idea to take notice. If I can echo Evans' sentiments, calling the live-action Rurouni Kenshin trilogy the best live-action adaptation of shōnen manga to date will probably elcit little to no argument. Still, it's nice to have validation from Evans as well. God damn the action in Rurouni Kenshin is fucking beautiful. Huge tip of the hat to choreographer Kenji Tanigaki. — Gareth Evans (@ghuwevans) January 27, 2015 Piled through the trilogy on a flight. Sojiro vs Kenshin is poss one of the best sword fights I’ve seen. Must buy, must rewatch, must study! — Gareth Evans (@ghuwevans) January 27, 2015 That shot tracking in...

If the first trailer to Clarence Fok's contemporary actioner Special ID left you hungry for more of Donnie Yen's innovative brand of action, then look no further to a behind-the-scenes video posted by Japanese stuntman and Yen's long-time assistant action choreographer Kenji Tanigaki. The video contain loads of ass-kicking fight scenes, crazy car chases and high flying (or falling) stuntwork to what promises to be an action-packed thrill ride. Yen takes on the role of Zilong Chen, an undercover police officer deep within the ranks of one of China's most ruthless underworld gangs. The leader of the gang, Xiong (Collin Chou - Jet Li's Fearless, The Forbidden Kingdom, The Matrix Revolutions, The Matrix Reloaded), has made it his priority to weed out the government infiltrators...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Watsuki Nobuhiro’s “Rurouni Kenshin” has long been one of the most loved manga in Japan, telling the story of the wandering pacifist samurai of the title and his many adventures. Known as “Samurai X” in the West, the manga has already been adapted across multiple formats, including a hugely popular anime series, several OVAs and audio books. Finally, it arrives on the big screen courtesy of writer Fujii Kiyomi (“L Change the World”) and director Otomo Keishi (“Taiga drama Ryomaden”) as a big budget live action film, with young television actor Sato Takeru (“Rookies”) as Kenshin. Also bringing the well-known roles from the comic to life are Takei Emi (“For Love’s Sake”), Aoi Yu (“Patisserie Coin de rue”) and Kagawa Teruyuki (“Kaiji 2”), with action choreography by Tanigaki Kenji, who previously worked with the one and only Donnie Yen on the likes of “Spl”, “Flashpoint” and “Wu Xia”. As...

This review was written for the theatrical release of "Flash Point".HONG KONG -- After last year's gaudy, CGI-crazy "Dragon Tiger Gate", veteran Hong Kong director Wilson Yip Wai Shun goes back to basics in "Flash Point". Those dazzled by the cut-and-thrust slickness of 2005's "S.P.L.: Sha po lang" will experience another kind of adrenaline rush in a "sequel" that hawks its realistic interpretation of MMA, or mixed martial arts, a school utilizing a melange of disciplines from Chinese wushu to boxing.

Boxoffice in China yielded about $1.9 million after three days. The film has been selected for the midnight section at the Toronto International Film Festival and easily should find its way to the North American DVD market.

Donnie Yen reinvents the role of Ma Jun, the dynamic but by-the-book policeman in "S.P.L.", as a violent cop who breaks every rule in the system -- and every rib of his culprits. His adversaries are a trio of drug-smuggling brothers from Vietnam: Archer (Lui Leung-wai), Tony (Collin Chou) and Tiger (Yu Xing). In a move to expand their turf, they try to assassinate a rival, who survives and agrees to testify against them. With the help of Ma's buddy, undercover cop Wilson Louis Koo), police arrest Archer; Tony and Tiger escape, while Wilson is handicapped in the operation.

This sets the stage for a plot of nail-biting tension, one in which a falling battery plays a pivotal role -- a neat variation on the slo-mo falling coin in "Bullets Over Summer". Cinematography, editing and even the bass-heavy music are executed with the same briskness as the close-contact style of MMA. One elevator scene is shot like a boxing match with the camera nudging up to within an inch of Ma's face as he delivers a uppercut to his opponent, while a female cop aiming wildly with her gun encircles them like a referee in the ring.

Shooting a duel in an outdoor food stall, the camera is almost as acrobatic as the action stars. Skirting nimbly around tables turned and a girl being flung across the street like a Frisbee, it captures at close range Ma and Tiger wrestling each other with bare hands.

The final showdown is a prolonged 7 1/2 minutes of unarmed combat. As if afraid to detract attention from the real action, the set is just a makeshift hut, knocked up only to be knocked down. Even the camera pulls back to let Ma and Tony let go and let rip. Ma stops only for a second, not to catch his breath, but to take off his jacket so you can admire his biceps.

Now in his third collaboration with action director Yen (after "S.P.L". and "Dragon Tiger Gate"), it's tricky to tell where Yen's influence begins and Yip's direction ends. With the help of Yen and his team of martial artists (including Kenji Tanigaki of "Shinobi" fame), the action set pieces are spread out sparsely but have stronger impact.

Yet gone are the enthralling human dramas, the quirky personalities and vivid evocations of place -- trademarks of Yip's best-loved works such as "Juliet in Love" and "Bullets Over Summer". The plot development of "Flash Point" is purely utilitarian, like a shuttle bus that transports stock characters from one action set to another.

FLASH POINT

Mandarin Films Distribution /Chang Ying Group/Polybona Film Distribution/Beijing Enlight Pictures

Credits:

Director: Wilson Yip Wai Shun

Screenwriters: Szeto Kam Yuen, Nicholl Tang

Producers: Nansun Shi, Donnie Yen

Executive producers: Raymond Wong, Yu Dong, Wang Chang Tian

Action director: Donnie Yen

Director of photography: Cheung Man-po

Production designer: Kenneth Mak

Music: Chan Kwong-wing

Costume designer: Lee Pik-kwan

Editor: Cheung Ka-fai

Cast:

Ma Jun: Donnie Yen

Wilson: Louis Koo

Archer (aka Ja Ge): Lui Leung-wai

Tony: Collin Chou

Tiger: Yu Xing

Fan Bingbing: Julie

Inspector Wong: Kent Cheng

Running time -- 87 minutes

No MPAA rating...

HONG KONG -- After last year's gaudy, CGI-crazy Dragon Tiger Gate, veteran Hong Kong director Wilson Yip Wai Shun goes back to basics in Flash Point. Those dazzled by the cut-and-thrust slickness of 2005's S.P.L.: Sha po lang will experience another kind of adrenaline rush in a "sequel" that hawks its realistic interpretation of MMA, or mixed martial arts, a school utilizing a melange of disciplines from Chinese wushu to boxing.

Boxoffice in China yielded about $1.9 million after three days. The film has been selected for the midnight section at the Toronto International Film Festival and easily should find its way to the North American DVD market.

Donnie Yen reinvents the role of Ma Jun, the dynamic but by-the-book policeman in S.P.L., as a violent cop who breaks every rule in the system -- and every rib of his culprits. His adversaries are a trio of drug-smuggling brothers from Vietnam: Archer (Lui Leung-wai), Tony (Collin Chou) and Tiger (Yu Xing). In a move to expand their turf, they try to assassinate a rival, who survives and agrees to testify against them. With the help of Ma's buddy, undercover cop Wilson Louis Koo), police arrest Archer; Tony and Tiger escape, while Wilson is handicapped in the operation.

This sets the stage for a plot of nail-biting tension, one in which a falling battery plays a pivotal role -- a neat variation on the slo-mo falling coin in Bullets Over Summer. Cinematography, editing and even the bass-heavy music are executed with the same briskness as the close-contact style of MMA. One elevator scene is shot like a boxing match with the camera nudging up to within an inch of Ma's face as he delivers a uppercut to his opponent, while a female cop aiming wildly with her gun encircles them like a referee in the ring.

Shooting a duel in an outdoor food stall, the camera is almost as acrobatic as the action stars. Skirting nimbly around tables turned and a girl being flung across the street like a Frisbee, it captures at close range Ma and Tiger wrestling each other with bare hands.

The final showdown is a prolonged 7 1/2 minutes of unarmed combat. As if afraid to detract attention from the real action, the set is just a makeshift hut, knocked up only to be knocked down. Even the camera pulls back to let Ma and Tony let go and let rip. Ma stops only for a second, not to catch his breath, but to take off his jacket so you can admire his biceps.

Now in his third collaboration with action director Yen (after S.P.L. and Dragon Tiger Gate), it's tricky to tell where Yen's influence begins and Yip's direction ends. With the help of Yen and his team of martial artists (including Kenji Tanigaki of Shinobi fame), the action set pieces are spread out sparsely but have stronger impact.

Yet gone are the enthralling human dramas, the quirky personalities and vivid evocations of place -- trademarks of Yip's best-loved works such as Juliet in Love and Bullets Over Summer. The plot development of Flash Point is purely utilitarian, like a shuttle bus that transports stock characters from one action set to another.

FLASH POINT

Mandarin Films Distribution /Chang Ying Group/Polybona Film Distribution/Beijing Enlight Pictures

Credits:

Director: Wilson Yip Wai Shun

Screenwriters: Szeto Kam Yuen, Nicholl Tang

Producers: Nansun Shi, Donnie Yen

Executive producers: Raymond Wong, Yu Dong, Wang Chang Tian

Action director: Donnie Yen

Director of photography: Cheung Man-po

Production designer: Kenneth Mak

Music: Chan Kwong-wing

Costume designer: Lee Pik-kwan

Editor: Cheung Ka-fai

Cast:

Ma Jun: Donnie Yen

Wilson: Louis Koo

Archer (aka Ja Ge): Lui Leung-wai

Tony: Collin Chou

Tiger: Yu Xing

Fan Bingbing: Julie

Inspector Wong: Kent Cheng

Running time -- 87 minutes

No MPAA rating...