Production is set to begin on period war epic WARRING STATES in Bejing this month according to producer Sun Jie who recently made an announcement. Sun Honglei (THE UNDERDOG KNIGHT) and Francis Ng (TRACING SHADOW) have been cast in lead roles as rival military strategists in ancient China.
Sun Honglei (top left), Francis Ng (top right), Kim Hee-sun (bottom left), and Jiang Wu (bottom right).
South Korean actress Kim Hee-sun (THE MYTH) has also been cast along with Jiang Wu (THE ROBBERS).
The film is set during China’s Warring States Period (475 BC – 221 BC) and will center on a rivalry between military strategists Sun Bin (Sun Honglei) and Pang Juan (Francis Ng). Nothing else of the actual plot was revealed but the known historical account of these two men already reads like a movie plot.
According to Wikipedia, both men studied military strategy together before Pang became a top military general for the Wei state. Despite his success, Pang became jealous of Sun’s closer relationship to their hermit mentor and had him framed for treason against the state. Sun’s life was spared by Pang’s intervention but he was branded a criminal and had his kneecaps removed. Ouch!
Pang feigned pity to trick Sun into compiling his strategic knowledge into a book with the intention to kill him afterwards. Sun became aware of the plot and pretended to go mad long enough to escape to the Qi state where he became a top strategist and statesman. Both men later led armies against one another on the battlefield.
The film is expected to be a Lunar New Year release for 2011.
Related Topics:Francis Ng • Jiang Wu • Kim Hee-sun • Sun Honglei • Warring States (2011)
- Chinalovingindian
