Upcoming Bona Film Group Releases [Roast Pork Sliced From A Rusty Cleaver] (飲水思源)

A press release yesterday announced Bona Film Group's upcoming releases.
Bona Film Group Updates Film Slate for Remainder of 2013 and First Half of 2014

-- Unbeatable, directed by Dante Lam and starring Nick Cheung and Eddie Peng, is an action film that tells the story of two men finding redemption through Mixed Martial Arts. This highly anticipated film has already won Best Actor and Best Actress awards at the 16 Shanghai International Film Festival and received overwhelmingly positive reviews from both domestic and international press. The film is scheduled to open on August 16, 2013. [See previous posts here.]

My Lucky Star

Zhang Ziyi and Wang Leehom star, with Yao Chen, Ada Choi, Ruby Lin, Terri Kwan and Zheng Kai

- My Lucky Star, a sequel to the hit 2009 film Sophie's Revenge, has Ziyi Zhang returning in her role as humorous comic book writer Sophie. The film, which is directed by Dennie Gordon and features popular singer, actor and producer Leehom Wang as Zhang's love interest, is a romantic comedy with elements of action and adventure. It is tentatively planned for release in September 2013, around the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.

Lau Ching-Wan

Louis Koo

Inferno 3D

-- Inferno 3D, directed by Oxide & Danny Pang and starring renowned Hong Kong actors Sean Lau, Louis Koo and Angelica Lee, is a 3D disaster film telling the story of two firefighter brothers battling a fierce blaze that threatens to turn the city of Guangzhou into to a pile of ashes. This highly anticipated film is slated for a fourth quarter release.

The White Storm

Louis Koo, Lau Ching-Wan and Nick Cheung

- The White Storm (formerly The Cartel War), directed by Benny Chan and starring Louis Koo, Sean Lau and Nick Cheung, is expected to open in the fourth quarter. It is a gripping crime drama that tells the story of the Asian drug war and a friendship between three police officers.

Major Films in Production or Post Production, Tentatively Scheduled for Release in the First Half of 2014 Include:

The White-Haired Witch

The White-Haired Witch

Fan Bingbing and Huang Xiaoming in a retelling of the tale of The Bride with White Hair

-- The 3D martial arts epic The White-Haired Witch, directed by Jacob Cheung, produced by Jianxin Huang and starring Xiaoming Huang and Bingbing Fan. This is the first time Huang and Fan, previously voted China's most beautiful actor and actress, have shared top billing in a major film, and audiences have eagerly awaited this pairing. Based on a well-known book written by famous Wuxia novelist Yusheng Liang, The White-Haired Witch tells a story of kung fu, politics, fantasy, revenge and romance, and features an award-winning artistic team led by Oscar winner Timmy Yip. The film is currently in post production.

From Vegas to Macau

Chow Yun-Fat

Chapman To, Nicholas Tse, Wong Jing, Hui Siu-Hung

-- The action drama From Vegas to Macau, directed by Wong Jing and produced by Andrew Lau, focuses on gambling, a topic previously considered taboo in Chinese cinema. It features international star Chow Yun-Fat reprising his role as renowned gambler Ko Chun, Asian idol Nicholas Tse as Chun's successor and popular mainland Chinese actress Tian Jing as Chun's assistant and lover. The film started production on July 28 and has already received a broad media coverage.

Overheard 3

-- The latest installment in Bona's popular Overheard franchise, corporate action film Overheard 3, produced by Derek Yee, co-directed by Alan Mak and Felix Chong and starring Sean Lau, Louis Koo and Daniel Wu. This third film in the franchise explores the inside story of China's real estate business, a topic that has garnered significant attention from the news media but is rarely used in entertainment vehicles. The film is currently in postproduction. [Zhou Xun was recently revealed to be taking on the leading female role in this installment.]

-- The crime drama Sunspot, directed by well-known mainland Chinese director Baoping Cao and starring popular mainland Chinese actors Chao Deng, Yihong Duan, Tao Guo and Luodan Wang. Based on the best-selling Chinese novel, Sunspot is a Dostoevsky-style tale of three men who commit a vicious crime in their youth, but are never caught. Years later, racked with guilt, the men seek to atone for their previous actions by raising a foundling girl. When a brilliant detective moves into their town, they desperately try to hide their past while finding a new family for their adopted daughter and move on before the detective learns of their crime. The film is currently in postproduction.