Actor Wang Baoqiang has proven himself greatly with his comedic acting and screenfighting prowess in several film appearances, most recently with the release of the Teddy Chen-direcred homage to the genre, Kung Fu Killer starring Donnie Yen. These days we can all now catch Baoqiang in any number of promotional bits in lieu of the latest piece of work from director Chen Kaige, Monk Comes Down The Mountain, a film made in large part to expand production company Columbia Pictures into partnerships abroad in this, its second Mainland China production following its co-production for acclaimed director and actor Jiang Wen’s 2014 flick, Gone With The Bullets.
The film is based on The Grandmaster scribe, celebrated writer Xu Haofeng’s titular best-seller with Baoqiang in the lead, and and while the film’s release was nearly hampered by co-star Jaycee Chan (son of action legend Jackie Chan) whose career was snared last year amid one of China’s most talked-about drug crackdowns in history, thankfully we are graced with a July 3 release date as per the film’s poster artwork which you can check out below. In addition, a teaser is now making the rounds with Baoqiang lending a glimpse it what promises to be a visual feat of action with some humor to boot. Lin Chi-ling, Fan Wei, Aaron Kwok and Chang Chen also star with action sequences designed by Ku Huan-Chiu (Journey To The West, CJ7), with further info pending on the film’s U.S. release as The Monk.
SYNOPSIS:
In the film, when a young monk is forced to leave his impoverished monastery, he relies on his extraordinary martial arts skills to survive in the outside world. In search of a mentor, he crosses paths with a Kung Fu master who is in possession of the Book of Secrets, which reveals the lost art of the deadly Ape Strike Kung Fu technique. The rare book is coveted by a sinister father and son who will go to any extremes to obtain it. The monk finds himself immersed in a deadly battle to protect both the book and his master.
Watch the new teaser below, and check out the poster art that follows!
