Hong Kong’s Edko Films Unveils Kung-Fu Project ‘Rise of the Legend’

HONG KONG – Edko Films, Irresistible Delta and BDI Films have announced new joint project Rise of the Legend, a fresh take on the life stories of the legendary martial arts master Wong Fei-hung.

Produced by Bill Kong, Liu Erdong and Ivy Ho, the film reunites the producers with the director-writer team of Chow Hin-yeung (Nightfall, Murderer) and Christine To (Fearless). Principle photography starts on Aug. 20 in China.

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While the actor playing the lead role of Wong Fei-hung is not yet unannounced, the film will star Sammo Hung (Ip Man 2) as the kung fu master’s mentor, as well as Jing Boran (The Bullet Vanishes), and martial arts champion-turned-actor Zhang Jin (The Grandmaster). 

Corey Yuen (X-Men) will serve as action director, Ng Man-ching (Chinese Zodiac) as director of photography, and Pater Wong (The Warlords) as production designer.

“For a Chinese-language movie, only a kung fu movie works internationally. But a real kung fu movie is a rare occasion these days, which Is why I want to pay tribute to this genre,” said Kong, who produced kung fu classics such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero and Fearless, in a statement. Kong’s Cold War, produced with Matthew Tang and Ho, was the highest grossing Chinese-language film in Hong Kong in 2012, and took nine Hong Kong Film Awards, including best film and best director subsequently.

The stories of Wong Fei-hung, featured in no less than 100 films in the 1950s in Hong Kong, was later revived by Tsui Hark in his internationally acclaimed Once Upon a Time in China series, starring Jet Li, in the 1990s.

Rise of the Legend is set for release in the second half of 2014.