SPL 2! Donnie Yen interview

[Gaijin84]

Some good stuff here...

http://www.kungfucinema.com/articles/20060313_01.htm

[Brian Thibodeau]

Oh man! I am so stoked for that! I can only HOPE that it might show up at this year's Toronto Film Fest. Well, one can dream....

[ewaffle]

I must have missed it--the only discussion of a sequel that I found was for "Seven Swords". It is a particularly poorly written headline and makes it look like the interview is an announcement for SPL2.

[Gaijin84]

Here is the part:

Are you going to work on the recently announced "Seven Swords" sequel?

Of course they’ve asked me. But right now I’m working on SPL 2. It’s going to be Wilson and me, and all the same production people. It’s going to be about cops in Macao, sort of like Training Day in Macao, and it will have a bigger budget than SPL.

[ewaffle]

[evirei]

wow... SPL 2.. this I must pay attention to. :shock:

[Beat TG]

SPL 2 will be completely different from what was previously reported. It was stated to be a prequel to the original but the story-line had to be changed because of Wu Jing's absence (he will make a movie about underground fighting with Ronald Cheung).

[Brian Thibodeau]

The concept of SPL lends itself nicely to any number of stories. A sequel doesn't necessarily have to be related to the original in this case. Just come up with another way to show those three astrological signs coming into conflict. If it's not a prequel, and Donnie's in it, then maybe that's what they'll do.

[evirei]

Let's just hope the sequel is at least on par with the first ones. As in the movie culture, the second one tends to disappoint a little.

[Brian Thibodeau]

Let's just hope the sequel is at least on par with the first ones. As in the movie culture, the second one tends to disappoint a little.

So true, unfortunately. But here's hoping....

[Gaijin84]

I heard that Donnie tried to up the ante (in regards to martial arts) in making SPL in specific response to the challenge that Ong Bak presented to the Hong Kong action market. Did anyone else hear this or have more info?

[fartbubble]

Gaijin84, I heard that. Can't remember where, but someone said Ong Bak showed HK how to do HK martial art films again. Also heard the same about Last Samurai.

[Brian Thibodeau]

He talks about it here:

http://www.twitchfilm.net/archives/002144.html

In all honesty, Yen has little to worry about from the Thai market, but if the result of his worries is a film like SPL or DRAGON TIGER GATE or sequels to same, more power to him! Tony Jaa seems to put out about one film a year and, fantastic though they are, they're the cream of a very large and generally very poor crop. The VAST majority of Thai films are absolute chores to get through. For every SHUTTER or ONG BAK or TOM YUM GOONG made by people with firm grasps of the finer points of filmmaking, there are about twenty poorly made "comedies" (tranny and otherwise) and jaw-droppingly toothless "horror" films that will rarely be seen outside of Thailand's borders. From a screenwriting standpoint alone, the Thai industry still has a long way to go to catch up to even the Hong Kong market.

If anything, ONG BAK (and to a lesser extend BORN TO FIGHT) didn't so much teach Hong Kong filmmakers how to make martial arts films again as it reminded them of an area they'd neglected a bit over the past few years. No that there haven't been some decent martial arts battles in just about every year's output, (like 2002, or HOUSE OF FURY), but it's nice to see the real pros go at it instead of the usual pretty boys (and girls).

What did LAST SAMURAI do, exactly? I missed that one....

[Gaijin84]

In all honesty, Yen has little to worry about from the Thai market, but if the result of his worries is a film like SPL or DRAGON TIGER GATE or sequels to same, more power to him! Tony Jaa seems to put out about one film a year and, fantastic though they are, they're the cream of a very large and generally very poor crop.

I totally agree with you on this point. Thailand does have a long way to go, but it's exciting to see new talent from foreign shores make a big impact on how films are made. Although Donnie has a great screen presence and there is a ton of talent and potential there, I still found the fight scenes lacking a bit when compared to the violence and precision of Tony Jaa's. There is just something about the scenes in Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong that left me completely floored.
That being said, there were some points that looked like a glimpse of the future. Wu Jing looks to be the real deal, and I was happy to see the incorporation of grappling and MMA into the choreography (which was very well done). I was a little hesitant with the use of CGI blood in the fight scenes (much like the awkward use in Takeshi Kitano's Zatoichi). I don't think it was needed in that extent to demonstrate the brutality of the fights.

[Brian Thibodeau]

I was a little hesitant with the use of CGI blood in the fight scenes (much like the awkward use in Takeshi Kitano's Zatoichi). I don't think it was needed in that extent to demonstrate the brutality of the fights.

The CGI blood in ZATOICHI was, for me, a total distraction, to the point where I dreaded each new fight scene because I knew there'd be more of it. Japanese filmmakers did it so much better with practical red syrup back in the late 60's and early 70's (and beyond), that I had to wonder if it wouldn't have been cheaper just to use that method on the newer film. Representative blood to the degree that it was used in ZATOICHI was a deal-killer for me and convinced me to sell it after watching it, despite it's favourable qualities. By comparison, the CGI blood in SPL, while no less obvious, occurred far less frequency and was kept to realistic levels, and was better integrated with the practical blood effects.

[pjshimmer]

I expect Austin Wai's character to be expanded in the sequel. Maybe they will arrange him to have a "IA: Anthony Wong-Eric Tsang" relationship with Wong Po. After all, how can Wong Po get away from his crime twice so conveniently without any trouble? Uhhuh.

[Brian Thibodeau]

From the sounds of Donnie Yen's comments in that interview, SPL 2 might be a wholly unrelated to the first film. Which might be better than trying to concoct a continuation of the tale that ended so beautifully in the first film. The basic concept of SPL - concerning the three astrological signs - could be the anchor point of any number of very cool contemporary action pictures in a series. Sort of like variations on a theme, but with completely new characters, even if some of them are played by actors from previous installments...

[PAUL MARTINEZ]

SPL 2 might be a wholly unrelated to the first film. Which might be better than trying to concoct a continuation of the tale that ended so beautifully in the first film. The basic concept of SPL - concerning the three astrological signs - could be the anchor point of any number of very cool contemporary action pictures in a series. Sort of like variations on a theme, but with completely new characters, even if some of them are played by actors from previous installments...

I very much agree. Many times a sequel is effective because it doesn't try to continue the first story. (Ex. The Eye & The Eye 2)