li bingbing

RUSH HOUR: Li Bingbing Reportedly Circling Female-Centric Reboot Of Current Chan/Tucker Trilogy

Until today, at least one more Rush Hour film was said to be happening as it has been hyped with franchise stars Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker possibly slated to reunite on the big screen. It’s anyone’s guess at this point when that film will start, although thanks from a report over at That Hashtag Show on Tuesday, fans can now add not one, but a second iteration, this time from STX. Word has it that a female line-up is percolating at the studio, and with actress Li Bingbing (The Meg, The Forbidden Kingdom, Transformers: Age Of Extinction) being courted for a principal role. Plot details are unknown as to how this one will follow up on the rousing adventures and misadventures of Chan’s Hong Kong detective Lee and Tucker’s reluctant partnering L.A. detective Carter; CBS took to task with a TV series that lasted only one season in 2016 […]

THE MEG: A Legendary Predator Is ‘Pleased To Eat You’ In The Official Poster And Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

We’re a long way from the Transporter films and so at least one question that has remained is if whether or not action star Jason Statham can carry an action film. 2015 remake Wild Card was a downer but thankfully the remainder of his films have brought him in good company and the same certainly goes for upcoming novel adaptation, The Meg. He’s got the front billing here for director Jon Turtletaub and notably, the campaign has already started resounding well with a number of netizens as the film picked up steam in the past week. Author Steve Alten’s full-throated endorsement of the debut trailer and poster running online as of Monday surely speaks volumes, and with a cast that lists Chinese superstar Li Bingbing who now adds to the growing number of crossover titles she’s done in the last several years. The book franchise itself is still thriving which […]

7 GUARDIANS OF THE TOMB: Don’t Miss The Official Trailer For The New Action Horror

Lee B. Golden III

Director Kimble Randall’s new film, 7 Guardians Of The Tomb, has since made its initial run in China following news of its U.S. landings. Thus, Gravitas Ventures is prepared to oblige with a limited theatrical, digital and VOD date stamped for February 23 to take in the thrills and chills headlined by actress Li Bingbing who hails yet another turning point in international film stardom from whipping her hair at Jackie Chan in Rob Minkoff’s The Forbidden Kingdom to battling evil alien robots in Transformers: Age Of Extinction. When a team of scientists lose a colleague in an ancient labyrinth; the motley crew must work together to recover him while trying to make the discovery of a century. In their quest they find themselves underground, battling ancient, terrifying Chinese magic and making their way through a swarm of deadly, man-eating spiders – only to uncover the secret behind the insects’ […]

GUARDIANS OF THE TOMB: China Exhumes A Release Date Amid U.S. And U.K. Pick-Ups

Lee B. Golden III

It hasn’t been very long since we struck our first official teaser trailer for Kimble Rendall’s latest, Guardians Of The Tomb. Accordingly, things have been taking shape this week at the American Film Market, making convenient pending news on acquisitions and with word via Screendaily now reporting a 3D rollout on January 19, 2018 in China from Nest Holdings and Sleeping Otters Productions through co-producer Grand Canal Pictures and China Film Group on January 19, 2018. A heart-pounding action adventure flick about a group of expert scientists who, on the cusp of the world’s greatest discovery, must out run – and out wit – a swarm of predatory Funnel Webs spiders that guard the labyrinth tomb of a once powerful Chinese Emperor. Gravitas Ventures and Signature Entertainment have also acquired rights to the film for the U.S. and the U.K. respectively with release dates for both territories pending. Kellan Lutz […]

GUARDIANS OF THE TOMB: Creepy Crawlers And Harrowing Adventure In The New Teaser

Lee B. Golden III

Kimble Randall’s third outing has arrived in time to put film fans on notice. Hailing with a January 19 release is the new action adventure thriller, Guardians Of The Tomb, ripe with a new official trailer this week, its title upgraded from its previous iteration as NEST, and boasting an ambitious 3D release with a cast aiming staunchly for wide markets. GUARDIANS OF THE TOMB revolves around a team of scientists who, while making the discovery of the century, lose a colleague in an ancient labyrinth. The group must battle their way through a swarm of deadly, man-eating funnel web spiders and discover the secret behind the arachnids’ power and intelligence – before it’s too late. The Osiris Child star Kellan Lutz leads the cast along with reunited Transformers: Age Of Extinction cohorts Li Bingbing and actor Kelsey Grammer. Also starring are Shane Jacobson, Ryan Johnson, Jason Chong, Stef Dawson, […]

MEG Begins Principal Photography With Jason Statham And Li Bingbing, Sets 2018 Initial China Release

Lee B. Golden III

He’s fought gangsters, criminals, time traveling serial killers, drug traffickers and terrorists. Now, action star Jason Statham’s latest challenge is yet to come, and in the form of a one long-forgotten shark of legend in the new action adventure, Meg, with production underway and China first up for grabs with the film’s premiere release. The details are in the following announcement from Warner Bros and Gravity Pictures along with the first official set photo with Statham next to actress Li Bingbing. Peep it. (L-r) JASON STATHAM is Jonas Taylor and LI BINGBING is Suyin in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Gravity Pictures’ action adventure “MEG,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo by Daniel Smith BURBANK, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Principal photography is underway in New Zealand on the science fiction action thriller “Meg,” being directed by Jon Turteltaub (the “National Treasure” movies, “Last Vegas”). The film stars Jason Statham (“Spy,” “Furious 7,” “The Expendables” […]

ZHONG KUI: SNOW GIRL &THE DARK CRYSTAL: A CG-Enhanced Love Story That Will Leave You Soul-Searching

Lee B. Golden III

I choose to believe that better days are ahead for CG in Asian cinema. For now, what we get is a mixed-bag in at least one particular entry into fantasy wuxia with Zhao Tianyu’s latest, Zhong Kui: Snow Girl & The Dark Crystal, yet another foray into Chinese folklore that boldly goes all-in on visual spectacle to encompass its epic scope. It’s a noteworthy effort but it’s not without its stumbles. Actor Chen Kun steps into the fray in dual roles for this one, first as Zhong Kui, the appointed and celebrated Demon Slayer of the kingdom of Hu, who still secretly longs for a mysterious woman whom he met three years ago named Little Snow, played by Li Bingbing. The two fall into a bittersweet romance, an underlying subplot that subsides three years later in the storyline when Zhong Kui ventures into the bowels of Hell and recaptures The […]

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ZHONG KUI: SNOW GIRL AND THE DARK CRYSTAL 3D Bows In US Theaters Next Week!

Lee B. Golden III

China’s upward mobility in the world of CGI-heavy filmmaking is slowly gaining ground with its fair share of bigger-scale productions between several studios, and one of its latest is no exception. Zhong Kui: Snow Girl And The Dark Crystal bodes as a meaty and ferocious epic with nearly all the trimmings as seen in several of its trailers leading up to its release in addition to some of the stunning poster art now making the rounds and if you’re curious as to how a film of this caliber will be received in the U.S., then you’re in luck! Variety is exclusively reporting that the film will get a limited theatrical release in North America on February 27, courtesy of Well Go USA, following the film’s acquisition from international sales agent Arclight Films in Berlin earlier this month; The film’s release, in turn, repeats the process previously executed for the January […]

ZHONG KUI: SNOW GIRL AND THE DARK CRYSTAL Unelashes An Epic New Trailer

Lee B. Golden III

China is definitely working it’s way up in the delivering VFX-heavy storytelling department with several projects as of late, with one of them being director Zhao Tianyu‘s Mandarin-language fantasy epic, Zhong Kui: Snow Girl And The Dark Crystal. Actor Chen Kun leads the cast with leading lady Li Bingbing in a story filled with its fair share of demons, monsters, magic and mystics, coupled with romance, danger and spectactacular action. The film is getting its theatrical release in China on February 19, although I can certainly see the need for big screen treatment overseas. Some needed improvements in its CGI enhancements aside though, the film looks very stunning so far and I hope to see this myself when it gets across the pond in due time. In the meantime, a brand new English-subtitled trailer has arrived online as of earlier this month, and it looks seriously badass. Check it out […]

Illustrious Poster Art Paves The Way For 3D Fantasy Actioner, ZHONG KUI: SNOW GIRL AND THE DARK CRYSTAL

Lee B. Golden III

Director Zhao Tianyu is making some headway this week with the unveiling of some illustrious new character poster art for the pending release of Desen International Media’s upcoming fantasy action epic, Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal. The film arrival next year comes in the good graces of being one of China’s first films to embrace technological advancements in 3D filmmaking and motion capture, thanks to the presence of Oscar-winning cinematographer Peter Pau working the lens and producing, along with the folks over at Weta Workshop and Macrograph, collectivel known for dishing out their best film magic in a handful of Marvel flicks, in addition to Avatar, The Hobbit Saga, Dredd 3D and Journey To The West: Conquering The Demoms. Shot in scenic locations in Mainland China, Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal depicts the story of Chinese legendary anti-hero Zhong Kui, a young man endowed […]

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TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION – A Case For Better Action Movies

Lee B. Golden III

SUMMARY: Following the events of Transformers: Dark Of The Moon (2011), a government black-ops campaign directed by the CIA (Kelsey Grammer) is implemented to hunt down and exterminate all remaining Transformers on Earth, including Autobots. Meanwhile, Cade Yaeger (Mark Wahlberg) a Texas inventor unknowingly makes a discovery that endangers him and his daughter (Nicola Peltz), and Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen) re-emerges out of hiding and on the run with his newfound human allies and other surviving Autobots. Soon, they uncover a conspiracy that implicates an A.I. research facility bent on using alien robot technology for Earth’s own ill-gotten purposes; Galvatron (Frank Welker) is created, forcing Prime to question his sworn oath to protect Earth. With the odds stacked against them and time running out, will Yaeger, Prime and our heroes be able to unite against a common threat on both fronts? Or will the Autobots and mankind be doomed to extinction? […]

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Village, WB Board As Investors For 3D Action Fantasy, ZHONG KUI!

Lee B. Golden III

Back in February at the height of the popularity of 3D technology earned from this year’s release of Cheng Pou-Soi’s Winter blockbuster, The Monkey King, that filmimg was reported to begin for the latest action adventure from director Zhao Tianyu titled, Zhong Kui: Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal. On Sunday in Shanghai, it was officially reported that Village Roadshow Pictures Asia and Warner Bros. Pictures have signed on as co-financiers for the film. Starring Painted Skin actor Chen Kun and Transformers 4 co-star Li BingBing, the film is a mainland production that centers on the titular anti-hero, a young man with mysterious powers charged with capturing wayward spirits and keeping order in the afterlife, battling interdimensional evil between heaven, hell, and the world of the living. The film will also star Winston Chao, Yang Zishan, Bao Bei-er, and Juke Junyi. Producer Ann An (Ip Man 2) described the film as “…an […]