the assassin

Shin Hyun-Joon Kills It As THE ASSASSIN In The First Teaser!

Part of my hope nowadays as we get a look at this newest South Korean sword slasher, The Assassin, is that it’ll help spotlight another film featuring the same star at the time. Indeed it was Kim Young-jun’s Bichunmoo: Warrior Of Virtue that put actor Shin Hyun-joon on my radar a little over fifteen years ago, and with a film wholly indicative of the types of wuxia and kung fu productions the likes of fans of Wong Jing and Tsui Hark could take a liking to, and frankly it deserves a place somewhere on one of today’s current streaming mediums if not a renewed physical release at some point. At any rate, we now leave it to the efforts of director Kwak Jeong-deok in what seems like his debut feature film after years of hacking away at the keyboard as screenwriter for titles like 2019 disaster thriller, Ashfall, and Kim […]

THE ASSASSIN Cuts Close In The New Trailer For Its U.S. Release!

Lee B. Golden III

A Best Director award and accolades from New York and Toronto aside, Well Go USA has finally launched a new trailer for acclaimed Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsiao-Hsien‘s latest martial arts epic drama, The Assassin, and the footage obviously speaks for itself. It’s actress Shu Qi leading the way based on an ancient short story compilation along with actor Chang Chen and action design by Stephen Tung Wai, marking seven years of on-again-off-again production with reshoots and other hurdles, as tedious and tasking as it might have been. You can honestly posit this as a labor of sheer love and passion from a worthy director, and now moviegoers beyond the festival reach will finally be able to see it when it releases on October 16. SYNOPSIS: Back with his first film in 8 years, legendary Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien wowed this year’s Cannes Film Festival (where he won Best Director) with his […]

THE ASSASSIN Gets A China/HK Release Date

Lee B. Golden III

The Toronto Film Festival is already gearing up for a delightful set of films from all genres for its respective segments, including Tuesday’s Masters programme announcement for the year. Those intetrsted in a wider array of cerebral filmmaking can check out all that’s available below – the biggest one, of course, for fans of action being Hou Hsiao-Hsien‘s Cannes favorite, The Assassin, which now has a release date on deck for August 27 release in China and Hong Kong before opening in Taiwan the next day. From TIFF: Ninth century China. A general’s ten-year-old daughter Nie Yinniang is abducted by a nun who transforms her into an exceptional assassin. Years later, she is sent back to the land of her birth with orders to kill the man to whom she was promised. Nie Yinniang must now choose between the man she loves and the sacred way of the righteous assassins. […]

Watch The Majestic New Teaser For Hou's THE ASSASSIN With Shu Qi Starring!

Lee B. Golden III

Director Hou Hsiao-Hsien‘s latest long-awaited movie, The Assassin, had received plenty of popularity by the end of this year’s installment of Cannes with reviews nothing short of upworthy. Point in fact, even so far as coming close to winning the festival’s highest honor, the Palme d’Or is reassuring that Hou’s new film, well over two decades in the making with close to seven years of stagnant production, will be well worth viewing when it is released to audiences next year. As such, we finally have a trailer making the rounds, offering an enchanting look into Hou‘s story from a script by Chu Tien-Wen, Hsieh Hai-ming and Zhong Acheng and based on the short story written during the Tang Dynasty with actress Shu Qi in the title role. SYNOPSIS: 9th century China. 10-year old general’s daughter Nie Yinniang is abducted by a nun who initiates her into the martial arts, transforming […]

Hou's THE ASSASSIN Lands At Well Go USA

Lee B. Golden III

You know a film must be a huge deal when it’s up for the Palme d’Or, the highest award at the Cannes Film Festival. Events are set to kick-off this Wednesday as pre-sales are already underway as they have been for a flourishing number of titles, specifically Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien‘s long-awaited wuxia drama production, The Assassin. Well Go USA has reportedly nabbed the U.S. rights to the film which still awaits a release with actress Shu Qi starring based on work from the short story compilation, The Extensive Records Of The Taiping Era. Chang Chen and Ethan Ruan also join the cast and hopefully this all means we’ll finally see some footage go public whether before or after the film’s May 21 premiere. SYNOPSIS: 9th century China. 10-year old general’s daughter Nie Yinniang is abducted by a nun who initiates her into the martial arts, transforming her into an […]

Check Out Five New Stills For Hou's Cannes Entry, THE ASSASSIN!

Lee B. Golden III

Things are almost in full swing with just a few more weeks to go before Taiwanese director Hou Hsien-Hsiao‘s latest, The Assassin, premieres at Cannes. The film has since quite a long journey from start to finish spanning decades from its earlier conception up until now, and thankfully we’ve arrived to some visuals that are a lot nicer on the eyes than the patience has been on our collective sensibilities. The folks over at The Film Stage kindly presented a batch of FIVE new stills from the film as of this week with actress Shu Qi among those front and center, which still awaits its respective releases throughout Asia. Feel free to glance at them below and wait for more info as it follows. SYNOPSIS: 9th century China. 10-year old general’s daughter Nie Yinniang is abducted by a nun who initiates her into the martial arts, transforming her into an […]

Hou's THE ASSASSIN Makes The Rounds With A New Poster!

Lee B. Golden III

It’s been a long, long journey for the The Puppetmaster and Goodbye South, Goodbye helmer, Taiwanese filmmaker Hou Hsien-Hsiao whose latest martial arts debut with the $14 million dollar action romance epic, The Assassin, initially saw cameras rolling as early as 2010 and 2012 before being plagued by a series of unfortunate stops and starts. Those who are familiar with the DNA of Hou’s work might empathize just a little bit as it was new ground for the director who talked about his experience back in 2014 when he officially wrapped production, and needless to say, the wait is just a little bit closer to being over with the virility of the latest poster for the film which you can take a look at below, courtesy of international sales agent, Wild Bunch. SYNOPSIS: 9th century China. 10-year old general’s daughter Nie Yinniang is abducted by a nun who initiates her […]

THE ASSASSIN Wraps Principal Photography

Lee B. Golden III

Actress Shu Qi (The Transporter, Journey To The West: Conquering The Demons) is set to star in a new film from director Hou Hsiao Hsien titled The Assassin, also known as The Hidden Heroine, which has reportedly officially wrapped principal photography this week. The news comes with the film having been well over a few decades in the making as Hou initially planned the film back in the late 1980’s with screenwriter Chu Tien-Wen, followed by kicking off its hectic fifteen month schedule with locations set in China, Taiwan and Japan. Based on a short story from a compilation known as “The Extensive Records Of The Taiping Era” (a.k.a. Tàipíng Guǎngjì), Hou‘s new film is set in the Tang Dynasty and centers around Qi‘s portrayal of young girl named Nie Yin Niang who is kidnapped by a Taoist nun who trains her to become an assassin, assigned to take out […]