It’s been several years since the announcement of a third chapter in the Sha Po Lang crime saga with S.P.L.: War Needs Lord. At least tentatively though, the closest we have here is Wilson Yip’s 2017 neo-noir action crime thriller, Paradox, billed as more of a tangible side story apart from the two previous installments, S.P.L., and S.P.L. 2: A Time For Consequences.
Christmas will undoubtedly come a bit earlier for Donnie Yen fans looking toward advance screenings this month for Wilson Yip’s Ip Man 4: The Finale. Expect some heavy-handed press by then with some of the film’s own stars touring select territories to promote the film, including the ‘Man’ himself in what he now elucidated will be his final kung fu movie according to his statements to South China Morning Post in the past week as of this article.
For now though, it’s Jonathan Li’s latest directotial debut that has taken shape with the anticipated theatrical release of The Brink, headlining Zhang and fellow star Shawn Yue in the story of a daring cop on a relentless mission to bring down a high seas gold smuggling operation. Wu Yue and Kurata Yasuaki and actresses Janice Man and Cecilia So also star for the film’s release on November 10 and with that, we have the newest trailer making the rounds and asserting in us a certifiable reminder that Zhang isn’t leaving us anytime soon no matter what color his hair is.
Wilson Yip’s latest, Sha Po Lang: Paradox, is on deck for an August 25 release…
Yep. You read that correctly. Apparently the film’s Chinese title as shown on the newest poster now unveils the film’s standing as something of an installment of the Sha Po Lang crime saga. I can’t really explain why but given the sort of nebulous treatment of the narrative and how the characters added and otherwise written as well as the seemingly stark, spiritual aesthetic applied here, I can understand why Bravos would want to go this route.
It sort of works, kind of like an anthology piece or a spin-off piece considering there is actually a third Sha Po Lang film in the works subtitled as Lord Needs War as of 2015. I guess we’ll wait see how this plays out, but the message is definitely clear either way with Yip at the helm and backing a hearty cast that includes Louis Koo and the seeming return of Tony Jaa back in the protagonist cop role under a different character, and actors Wu Yue and Wolf Warrior co-star Chris Collins among the cast and action legend Sammo Hung serving as the foundation for the action.
Hong Kong cop Lee (Louis Koo) goes on a search in Thailand for his missing daughter Chi (Hanna Chan). Thai Chinese police officer Chui Kit (Wu Yue) lets Lee join the investigation, having no idea that Lee is going to use the mass media to hunt for clues.
A short clip which accidentally filmed Chi’s capture is uploaded to the police website, but subsequently deleted. Chui Kit and colleague Tak (Tony Jaa) tracks down the clip owner, but the evidence is destroyed before they can stop it. The duo begins tracking down the culprit. As they get closer to the truth, they realize that the case is more complicated than they expected, and the mastermind behind the scene is not someone they can deal with…
Check out the new poster below and stay tuned for a final trailer as Bravos Pictures readies a round of TV spots and all sorts of promos to keep the hype going. (H/T: Asian Film Strike)
When Hong Kong police negotiator Lee Chung-chi (Louis Koo) was informed about the sudden disappearance of his 16-year-old daughter, Lee Wing-chi (Hanna Chan), during her trip to Pattaya, he decides to travel to Thailand to search for her daughter’s whereabouts. There, Lee receives assistance from local Chinese detective, Chui Kit (Wu Yue), and his colleague, Tak (Tony Jaa), and also encounters American gangster, Sacha (Chris Collins).
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