The new, final trailer for Badges Of Fury has been unveiled this opening week. I’ve had my doubts from time to time about this film because of its goofiness, but there is obviously a reason why it did so well at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, leading up to its evident acquisition by North American distributor, Well Go USA.
Jet Li’s upcoming action thriller from director Wang Tzu Ming, Badges Of Fury, has me a bit perplexed at times. With the most recent trailer, I gotta say I am convinced that action won’t be the film’s biggest selling point, especially if it is loaded with high jinks and comedic gags. But I take it that when Well Go USA releases it, that will all change and suddenly Jet Li will be front and center once again, even if it seems we will spend a good amount of it watching Wen Zhang chase women and be goofy.
Apparently as goofy as Wang Tzu-Ming‘s latest Jet Li action comedy vehicle, BADGES OF FURY seems with two of its latest trailers debuting online this month, the film has garneshed a lot of attention from attendees at Cannes, including distributors. According to reports at the Chicago Tribune, distribution rights for the film, shopped by Easternlight Films have been successfully acquired by Well Go USA for North American release.
Other territories the film was signed on for release include Australia/NZ, Germany, Hong Kong and Macaw, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. BADGES joins ICEMAN COMETH 3D director Cheong Law-Wing’s World War 2 martial arts fantasy revenge action thriller, WRATH OF VAJRA starring Xing Yu, under the North American label, as well as Johnnie To crime thrillers DRUG WAR starring Louis Koo, and the Andy Lau thriller, BLIND DETECTIVE which is slated for theatrical China release in July.
BADGES OF FURY was produced by Po Chu Chui and co-stars Wen Zhang in a story about a detective who must go undercover to investigate a series of murders with the help of his seasoned partner. Wen previously shared the screen with Jet Li in THE SORCEROR AND THE WHITE SNAKE.
Hong Kong action veterans Collin Chou and Jacky Wu Jing also star in the film. Liu Shishi, Michelle Chen and Liu Yan round out the cast, with fight choreography by acclaimed action director Corey Yuen-Kwai. The film will theatrically release in China on June 28, 2013.
It is probably no biggie for the veteran martial artist and actor-for nearly three and a half decades, Li has brought fury and passion to screens worldwide, from roles in the Shaolin Temple films, the Once Upon A Time In China series, and the Hong Kong classic Yuen Woo Ping actioner, Fist Of Legend. Li’s lucrative career eventually led him to his breakout villainous role in the hit film franchise action finale, Lethal Weapon 4, followed by other blockbuster box office hits like Fearless, Hero and The Expendables 1 and 2. Considering Li’s previous statements, the jury is still out on whether or not we will see him again in The Expendables 3, so we will see how that works out eventually.