TIGER COP: PROJECT A: Richard Norton Joins In As Maria Tran And Adrian Castro Hail Next Chapter In The Nostalgic HK Style Shortfilm Saga
Fans of the independent Fideo Films and Phoenix Eye platforms are reconvening once more for another entry into the cult “Tiger Cop” shortfilm saga with Tiger Cop: Project A. Aussie director Adrian Castro will reteam with rising star Maria Tran (Tracer, Suka, Echo 8) on the new short with cameras rolling in Sydney and Melbourne in December.
Tran will lead a cast that also lists Melbourne-based collaborators Vinh Nguyen, martial artists Louis Damien Chaurémootoo and David Hong, and comedian/actor Georgina Neville. Further bolstering the roster is legendary action star Richard Norton, whose credits partly include Twinkle Twinke Lucky Stars (1985), China O’Brien (1988) and its 1990 sequel, as well as Mr. Nice Guy (1987), Mad Max: Fury Road and its 2024 prequel, Furiosa, and upcoming Cynthia Rothrock Western vehicle, Black Creek.
The concept behind Tiger Cop: Project A is a highly celebrated one for fans of the 80s and early-90s “girls with guns” fad elevating the likes of Michelle Yeoh, Cynthia Khan, Yukari Oshima, Moon Lee, Joyce Mina Godenzi and others. Castro and Tran contributed with their own take in a similarly-themed fan trailer in response to Andy Long Nguyen’s own 2012 genre tribute, “Yellow Zone,” and continued its evolution with a series of parody trailers. The idea soon birthed an ABC iView-commissioned Tiger Cop micro-series in 2017, while 2020 saw the release of indie short, “Tiger Cops: Toilet Paper Hero,” responding in kind to the mania induced by the Covid-19 pandemic, and topped off with the usual playful, high-energy Hong Kong action cinema nods.
“When it comes to action cinema, Hong Kong cinema in the 80’s is the gold standard, and to work with the legendary Richard Norton is a dream come true,” said Castro.
Tiger Cop: Project A, is supported by the Echo 8 Trilogy, Empower Tactical, and Kapow!, further cementing its position as a collaborative effort within the Australian action film community; The Echo 8 Trilogy was officially launched through a slate of summer seminars led by Tran, who is also in prep to begin back-to-back sequels in January following the success of her inaugural pandemic-shot assassin noir thriller, Echo 8.
The actress and filmmaker is additionally poised to make headway at next month’s launchpad Dark Night Film Festival for her debut horror short, Midnight Never Sleeps, starring Ana Thu Nguyen (upcoming Mortal Kombat 2).
