CHINA: 'The Forbidden Kingdom' opens with a star-studded world premiere in Beijing

Record ID: 218703

  • Title: CHINA: 'The Forbidden Kingdom' opens with a star-studded world premiere in Beijing
  • Date: 24th April 2008
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR ROB MINKOFF SAYING: "Of course the question is why an American boy, well, I'm an American boy and I love martial arts movies and so to tell the story of someone like myself coming to China and getting to make a movie about it is just amazing."
  • Embargoed: 9th May 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA17DJYJP5X29GZQOCAHCRTZA6T
  • Story Text: Kung fu greats Jet Li and Jackie Chan team up for new movie "The Forbidden Kingdom", wowing Chinese fans at the film's glitzy red carpet world premiere in Beijing.
    Chinese kung fu stars Jet Li and Jackie Chan attended the glitzy world premiere of their new film "The Forbidden Kingdom" in Beijing on Wednesday (April 16).
    Organisers had pulled out all stops for the premiere which was held in a 1,500-seat inflatable structure in Beijing's Chaoyang Park.
    The martial arts stars, holding hands with Li's young daughter, walked the red carpet with leading ladies Li Bingbing and Liu Yifei.

    "The Forbidden Kingdom" marks the first collaboration between Li and Chan.
    The film's director, Rob Minkoff, who is known for animation films such as 'The Lion King' and 'Stuart Little' said the movie was a labour of love for its stars, adding that working with the energetic kung fu greats had been exciting.

    "No, not a nightmare, it was really exciting. You know, the two of them have been talking about working together for 15 years and now it's finally the culmination of that dream so we're very, very excited and it was fun," Minkoff said.
    Filmed in China and based on the Chinese legend of the Monkey King, "Forbidden Kingdom" tells of Jason (Michael Angarano of TV's "24"), a nerdy Boston teenager and kung fu fan who is befriended by the elderly owner (Chan) of a pawnshop.
    When the old man is killed in a robbery, Jason rescues a magical staff and suddenly finds himself transported back to ancient China where he faces the huge task of freeing the fabled Monkey King (Li), imprisoned by a powerful war lord.
    His task is fraught with peril until help appears in the form of kung fu master Lu Yan (Chan) and the Silent Monk (Li) who team up with the teenager to defeat the Jade War Lord.
    Minkoff said leading with a Western actor had been a natural decision - not a calculated move to make the movie more appealing for international markets.

    "Of course the question is why an American boy, well, I'm an American boy and I love martial arts movies and so to tell the story of someone like myself coming to China and getting to make a movie about it is just amazing," he said.
    The film's fight sequences were choreographed by Yuen Woo-Ping ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") and despite the fact it was the first time Li and Chan worked together, both have said the fights felt as if they had collaborated for a long time.
    Chan, 54, was a major star of Hong Kong action flicks before making it big in the United States in the "Rush Hour" movies and Li, 44, followed a similar career path starting in Asia and breaking into Hollywood with "Lethal Weapon 4."
    Both now act and produce their own films and in a new twist for "Forbidden Kingdom," they both have dual roles.
    A crowd of fans gathered at the premiere to catch a glimpse of the stars but heavy security meant close contact with their favourite stars was not possible.
    But the fans did their best to show their support for their favourite of the two kung fu stars, waving banners and posters behind a line of security guards.

    "Of course Jet Li. Jackie Chan's kung fu has more humour in it but Jet Li is a real Chinese wushu star. We like the real stuff," Zhang Wei said.

    "Ever since I was small I've been a fan. I grew up with Jackie Chan's movies. If I had any problems, I'd watch his movies, they are funny and interesting and have simple stories that tell you how to live your life,"
    Mr. Wang said.

    "The Forbidden Kingdom" opens in the United States on Friday (April 18) and across Asia in late April.
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