I’ve tried my darndest to keep up with director Xu Haofeng in the last several years ever since I caught the fever with The Final Master. I’ve seen most of his films at least once, save for The Hidden Blade which, last I checked, came out last year, and frankly, you could knock me over with a feather if you told me that film was released. I hadn’t a single clue about it following the film’s teaser as there was no official trailer at least I knew of.
It’s frustrating, but simultaneously, it’s also nice to know that the acclaimed author and kung fu cinema favorite is still aptly tending to his craft. His latest is now in production with Shi Yan Juan Tianya – a heroic martial arts sword epic inspired by a Yuan Dynasty poem which has actress Zhou Xun (Painted Skin, Painted Skin: The Resurrection), actor Chen Kun (Mojin, Snow Girl And The Dark Crystal) and Song Jia (The Final Master) all starring.
Xu is directing the film from his own script which takes place during the Yuan Dynasty and sees Chen in the role of Wen Sanchun, a swordsman who crosses paths with a woman seemingly on the run, ensuing a rescue which devolves into a tale of war, betrayal and self-discovery. There’s no release date set yet for the new film, or, even an English title for that matter, so feel free to stick this one long term in your notes right next to The Hidden Blade and let’s hope some actual PR starts making way before Xu’s films fall into obscurity.
Hat tip to @AsianFilmStrike for the title details and MTime source, and to @yliu99 for the extra insight. Check out the images below and stay tuned for more info as this one may get a 2019 release.
