July
10
Creative Differences: Chow Won't Return to Woo's Red Cliff
Producer Terence Chang, director John Woo and star Chow Yun Fat go back a long way, to the halcyon Hong Kong era when they made a series of unforgettable action classics that launched their international careers: A Better Tomorrow, Bullet in the Head, The Killer, Hard Boiled.
Chang has continued to work with both men, who have pursued separate Hollywood careers. The upcoming $80-million period Chinese epic Red Cliff was supposed to reunite them. It makes me sad to report that the even-tempered Chang has announced that Chow, who withdrew from the film in April, will not return to Red Cliff. Judging from the tenor of this report, the once-close relationship between Chow and Chang and Woo would seem to be over forever.
What was the source of the conflict? I understand that Chow may have gotten accustomed to the big-star coddling he got in the big-budget realm of such movies as Jerry Bruckheimer's Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. That movie got a 45% rotten critics' rating on Rotten Tomatoes. If Chow were to check out his films' Rotten Tomatoes ratings, he would see that the best numbers go with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon---and the films he made with Woo.
I've interviewed both Chow and Woo (for Premiere, which of course doesn't have archives on its website), and can attest that they are both lovely human beings. I remember trying to get each of them to explain why they have not worked together, and could detect some pride mixed with a little competitiveness in their answers. That's a volatile combination on a movie set.
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Ironically, Chow is working on John Woo's video game sequel to "Hardboiled." The game is titled "Stranglehold" and is being made by Midway (in partnership with Tiger Hill Entertainment) and stars Chow Yun Fat as Tequila, or at least as the voice of Tequila.
You can read about the voice actors cast in the film here: http://games.ign.com/articles/799/799593p1.html
As you know, I'm always talking about how Gen X is really the "interactive entertainment generation" and this is just another example. You can read the official press release here: http://www.midway.com/assets/press/documents/StrangleholdAnnouncementReleaseFinal.pdf
The game was initially supposed to release last year, but has been delayed until this fall. The PS3 version will include the BluRay version of "Hardboiled."
Posted by: Christian Johnson | July 10, 2007 at 06:17 PM
Terence Chang trashed Chow Yun Fat badly to Chinese media; he made Chow Yun Fat looks like a perash who only care about money and ingore the friendship.
Terence Chang also said that Chow Yun Fat's over-the-top requirement caused troubles to the production of "Curse of the Golden Flower" (Bill Kong said that it is totally not true)
But Terence Chang ingored the fact that Chow Yun Fat is still willing to get little money to star in low-budget movie, like what he did with "The Postmodern Life of My Aunt".
Posted by: marychan | July 10, 2007 at 10:12 PM
A note of correction: Chow was supposed to star in BULLET IN THE HEAD, but ultimately passed. Simon Yam got the role, which was then cut down considerably.
Posted by: cadavra | July 10, 2007 at 11:02 PM
The conflict really was not between Chow or Woo, it seem like inside China Film themself and Chang when they both didn't have well communication. For example, why both Leung and Chow both dropped out Red Cliff before filming? And the point is that they both Woo's favour. The China Film could ignor the pre-production and easily move the actors what they want?! Actually after Chow dropped out the film, he didn't say he would come back. Someone just made a trick.
Posted by: Tom | July 11, 2007 at 01:45 PM
Tony Leung had re-joined "Red Cliff".
Rumor is that John Woo agreed to double Tony Leung's salary.
Posted by: marychan | July 12, 2007 at 10:40 PM