By Mark Pollard | Published February 26, 2010

New images from the set of Benny Chan’s upcoming big-budget kung fu movie SHAOLIN have appeared in Chinese media.

Production is currently underway at Hengdian World Studios for the 200 million yuan (US$30 million) film which stars Nicholas Tse, Andy Lau, Jacky Wu Jing, Xing Yu, Fan Bingbing and Yu Hai. Action choreography is by Corey Yuen. Jackie Chan makes a cameo appearance and action director Xiong Xin-xin will also be seen onscreen fighting Wu Jing.

Top row, left to right: Yu Shao-qun, Jacky Wu, Xing Yu, Corey Yuen. Middle row, left to right: Liang Jing-ke, Yu Hai, Andy Lau, Jackie Chan, Albert Yeung, Benny Chan. (Scroll down for more images.)

SHAOLIN is set during China’s Republican era in the early part of the 20th century as conflict breaks out between regional warlords vying for control of the country after the collapse of the Qing Dynasty. A young and arrogant warlord named Hao Jie (Nicholas Tse), fresh from success on the battlefield, bests one of Shaolin’s masters in a duel. He’s later humbled when his family is wiped out by a rival warlord and is forced to seek refuge at the temple. As civil unrest continues to mount, Hao Jie and the Shaolin monks are forced to stand up to the warlords.

To prepare for their roles, lead cast members had been training in screen fighting with Corey Yuen and Yuen Tak. Additionally, they have paid extended visits to the real Shaolin Temple, engaged in meditation and some have received specialized training in Shaolin kung fu from Reverend Yongzhi, a real Shaolin master who until this movie has never taught outside of the Temple.

Reverend Yongzhi chose the rare occasion to train the actors in this film in order to promote Shaolin. “I hope this new Shaolin film will propagate the real meaning of Shaolin martial arts,” said Reverend Yongzhi. “Shaolin kung fu is not simply about fighting, it also encompasses autogenous, [infinite] understanding of Self. This is the meaning of Zen and martial arts as one.”

Martial arts actor Xing Yu, who first arrived on the scene as a martial arts master in KUNG FU HUSTLE, is a student of Reverend Yongzhi and can claim to be a true Shaolin disciple due to his formal training at the Shaolin Temple which began at age 12.

Andy Lau, who is not a martial arts actor by trade but is one of Hong Kong’s most popular and hard-working pop-star actors with a number of fighting roles behind him trained in Seven-Star Fist under Reverend Yongzhi. From the set pictures it appears that he will be playing a warlord. Lau will next be seen in another martial arts movie, Tsui hark’s DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME.

Nicholas Tse and Chinese opera-trained actor Yu Shao-qun have received specialized training in joint-lock techniques and sticky hands in preparation for their roles.

Although he started out as an pop idol unskilled in kung fu, Tse has earned increasing respect in recent years for the considerable effort he has put into training for various martial arts TV and feature film roles, particularly since training for his role in the mainland TV series WING CHUN (2006). He recently appeared in the blockbuster martial arts films BODYGUARDS AND ASSASSINS and THE STORM WARRIORS.

Back in January, Wu Jing spent a week at Shaolin Temple to train in kung fu for his role. While there, he fully immersed himself in the experience including Zen meditation. THE SPL star has also been busy working on another movie, TEMPEST OF THE WESTERLY WINDS with fellow star Francis Ng, director Gao Qun-shu and action director Nicky Li. That film is due out in Asian theaters this summer. Wu Jing’s last release was the sci-fi action comedy METALLIC ATTRACTION: KUNG FU CYBORG and he was last seen Stateside in Dragon Dynasty’s DVD release of INVISIBLE TARGET.

Elder actor Yu Hai is a very appropriate actor to appear in SHAOLIN. He is a wushu Grandmaster specializing in Mantis Fist who has starred in numerous mainland wushu movies including SHAOLIN TEMPLE, the 1982 blockbuster that made a star out of newcomer Jet Li, led to the reopening of Shaolin Temple and kicked off an entire generation of martial arts movies featuring contemporary wushu forms.

Benny Chan and Nicholas Tse on the set of SHAOLIN (2010).

From left to right: Jacky Wu, Corey Yuen and Andy Lau on the set of SHAOLIN (2010).

From left to right: Jacky Wu, Andy Lau and Xing Yu on the set of SHAOLIN (2010).

Yu Shao-qun on the set of SHAOLIN (2010).

Shaolin Temple set from SHAOLIN (2010).

Source: Wu-Jing.org

Related Topics:
Andy Lau  •  Jacky Wu Jing  •  Nicholas Tse  •  shaolin  •  Shaolin (2010)  •  upcoming  •  Xing Yu