More Details on Chan and Li's "The J&J Project"

When you think about some of the best and most dynamic martial arts action films of the last twenty years, what films come to mind? Some of the ones I think about include The Legend of Drunken Master, Police Story, Fist of Legend and the recent Fearless. These films feature some of the most exciting and innovative martial-arts action ever captured on film and are true classics of the genre.

These films wouldn't have achieved the iconic status they now enjoy (at least in my mind) if it were not for their exceptionally talented stars: Jackie Chan and Jet Li. In each of their films, these masters of fist, sword and other household objects demonstrate why they are regarded as the top stars of the martial arts action genre. Each man is so good in his own films, and brings so much to the table every time he makes a film, it's hard to imagine what he could possibly do to top himself.

Well, I think they might have figured out a way. According to a recent Variety article (and our previous reporting), Chan and Li have joined forces and will star together for the first time in a film for Relativity Media and producer Casey Silver. The $70 million action-adventure, dubbed The J&J Project, is being directed by Robert Minkoff (of The Lion King and Stuart Little) and scripted by John Fusco (of Young Guns and the recent Hidalgo). Li will play the dual roles of the monkey king and the silent monk in the film, which tells the story of the legend of the monkey king and his quest for immortality. Chan will play the monk T'sa-Ho, whose duty will put him in conflict with the monkey king's plans.

As if the paring of these two martial arts superstars in a new film isn't reason enough to be happy, it looks like we have even one more reason -- martial arts choreography superstar Yuen Woo-Ping (of The Matrix and the recent Fearless) will be creating the action sequences for the film. With this combination of talent in front of and behind the camera, it looks like The J&J Project is shaping up and may be destined to take its place among the top films of the martial arts action genre. Shooting on the film is expected to start in April.

What do you think? Is this movie destined to become a martial arts action classic?