Herman Yau's SHOCK WAVE Sets Course For 2017, Andy Lau To Star
News coming out of Hong Kong Filmart reports via THR that actor Andy Lau (Firestorm, Saving Mr. Wu) will begin his next venture in reunion with director Herman Yau (Ip Man: The Final Fight) for the new action thriller, Shock Wave. Lau is one who’s been the center of attention from time to time, and particularly with recent news of a sequel to his earlier fantasy muscle suit-fu actioner, Running On Karma, which I hope we hear more on soon.
In the meantime, Lau will star in Shock Wave as an Explosive Ordinance Disposal Bureau officer on the hunt for the mentor who trained him earlier in his career, all in the wake of a bomb threat at the Cross Harbour Tunnel. Lau is also set to produce the film through his Infinitus Films banner with Universe Films and co-financier, China’s Bona Film Group, and with a few statements that further clarify his position, highlighting his friendship and partnership with Yau who directed him in Don’t Fool Me! (1991) and Fascination Amour (1999), saying “I’ve seen an early draft of Shock Wave from Herman three years ago, but then we were busy with other things. I have known Herman for over twenty years, he is a director that demands my respects. I felt that it’s not right that we have spent three years not developing the script of Shock Wave, so I got in touch with him and hope to get the project off the ground. Also, the project is very much a Hong Kong-style action thriller, so I decided to produce and star in an important role in the film.”
Lau also says “I can’t say I would ‘hope’ to have exciting chemistry with him on Shock Wave, because I’m too sure of his ability and dreams. I feel certain that the action, the drama, and the whole structure of the film would be impressive,” before adding, “I hope to extend the myth of Hong Kong cinema, and hope that as much as being a commercial film, we can reach an international standard with this film… “Previous films like Firestorm (2013) are the staple of Hong Kong cinema, belonging to one of the most important genres in our output. I hope to reach new heights with the Hong Kong action genre and the cops-and-robbers genre with this film.”
Filming begins in April for a mid 2017 release while Lau stays the course to appear alongside Sammo Hung in My Beloved Bodyguard on April 1.
Photo courtesy of Herman Yau
Native New Yorker. Been writing for a long time now, and I enjoy what I do. Be nice to me!