Li's Fearless gets US distribution
Filed under: Action, Drama, Deals, Distribution, Focus Features, Family Films, Newsstand
Rogue Pictures, a genre division of Focus Features, has
picked up the American rights to Jet Li's latest hit, Fearless.
The film, which dominated the box offices of Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia when it opened last weekend, is
the story of martial arts legend Huo Yuanjia and his "triumph...in his personal and physical battles to become the
most famous Chinese fighter around the turn of the 20th century."Working against the film's potential success in the US, however, are a couple of obstacles. First of all, Rogue's track record is awful. Of the nine films (including Unleashed, which also starred Li) they have distributed to this point, only one - Shaun of the Dead - has been successful. Though I respect them a ton for picking up Orgazmo, it's hard to call it (or, for example, Seed of Chucky and Trippin', both of which Rogue also released) a good movie. Another potential stumbling block is the fact that so few Americans are familiar with Huo Yuanjia that his story could prove to be a hard sell. On the other hand, the film looks exciting, and Li has a solid base of followers. In addition, the rumor that this will be his last martial arts role may make that base even bigger than it already is.
Rogue plans to have Fearless in theaters, well, some time between now and 2007. We'll try to keep you posted.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-02-2006 @ 6:42PM
Michael said...
Just to be clear, he clarified recently that the rumor that this will be his last "martial arts" role stems from a mistranslation of his words.
What he said was that this will be his last Wushu film. Wushu is a specific, acrobatic style of martial arts. Flipping, wirework, stuff like that. He said that he feels he has said as much about wushu with his films that he possibly can, and so is leaving it.
I personally think it might also have something to do with the fact that Li is in his late 40s (whereas most Wushu practitioners "peak" in their early 20s) and just doesn't feel like risking that kind of injury anymore.
Whatever the reason, he is only leaving behind a certain kind of martial arts film. He has already clarified that he's going to continue doing kung fu and general action pictures.
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2-02-2006 @ 6:46PM
Michael said...
Correction, Li is in his EARLY 40s. Still, for wushu, that's a lot older than most people practice, especially when you consider that Li has been competing since he was 8 years old.
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2-08-2006 @ 2:28PM
Josh Mason said...
being that this is Jet's last matrial art film he has got Yuen Woo Ping to do the choreagraphing(matrix 1-3, unleashed, fist of legend, crouching tiger hidden dragon)the fight scenes are nothing less than great. The story is good and so are the actors. Unfortunately there wasa cut from the movie, about 40 minutes of an olympic scene where Jet fights a thai fighter. Michelle Yeoh was also cut from the film unfortunately.Now it is about 140 minutes long and there is plenty of fights for those fans a little less worried about watching a good film. Go Jet!!!
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