At least one other kung fu epic is on the way for a theatrical release whether or not most fans may approve. Director Roy Chow will be tackling the odds next month for the upcoming release of his new film, Rise Of The Legend, which offsets a refurbished cinematic origin take of the iconic late Qing Dynasty martial arts legend, Wong Fei-Hung.
Set in 1868 in Guangzhou, actor Eddie Peng takes the lead as a younger rendition of the title character who bands together with his fellow comrades in order to take down a gang of opium and human traffickers and the corrupt government officials who sanction them. Peng joins a list others who can now be seen in a new behind-the-scenes featurette from Edko Films Ltd., offering a small glimpse into the epic backdrop and set pieces to accomadate the new story. It’s all in Mandarin and I can’t translate, so hopefully you’ll enjoy it regardless.
Rise Of The Legend is written by Fearless scribe Christine To, and is also produced by Hung, along with Ivy Ho and Bill Kong, with fight choreography by Corey Yuen Kwai. Peng, Hung and Zhang are joined by Wang Luodan, Jing Boran and Wong Cho Lam, with special appearances by Tony Leung Ka-fai and Angelababy.
The film bows in China on November 21. Universal Pictures International also has worldwide distribution rights outside of Asia.
