Production begins on John Woo’s ‘Rain of Swords’ with Michelle Yeoh

On November 3, production began in Shanghai on a new wuxia-suspense film starring 47-year-old action movie queen Michelle Yeoh. The film, which is being shot at the same Songjiang Studio where Wilson Yip’s IP MAN 2 is wrapping up production this month, is co-directed by Taiwan’s Su Chau-bin and Hong Kong’s John Woo with action choreography by Stephen Tung Wei. The film’s Chinese title is JIANYU JIANGHU while the tentative English title is RAIN OF SWORDS IN THE PUGILISTIC WORLD.

In attendance at the opening ceremony where plot and character details were unveiled were the directors and producers Terence Chang, Peter Lam and Zhong Li-fang. Cast on hand included Yeoh and co-stars Jung Woo-sung (from Korea), Barbie Tsu, Paw Hee-ching, Wang Xue-qi, and Shawn Yue.

RAIN OF SWORDS is written by co-director Su Chao-bin, whose previous work includes two supernatural suspense films from Taiwan, DOUBLE VISION (2002) and SILK (2006). At the opening Woo stated that it was the best wuxia script he had read in years which might explain why he’s on board to produce and co-direct.

The suspense-driven wuxia story follows a love affair between a retiring assassin (Yeoh) and a messenger (Jung) whose father was killed by the assassin’s former associates. The assassin is initially unaware of this, as well as the fact that her lover is well-trained in martial arts. Meanwhile, a character played by Wang Xue-qi wants a supremely powerful jiang hu artifact in Yeoh’s possession and after locating her he sends out assassins fronted by Barbie Hsu and Shawn Yue to retrieve it.

The story is being likened to a Gu Long wuxia novel. Based in Taiwan during his writing years, Gu Long was one of the leading wuxia authors of the 20th century whose works, which tended to be influenced by Western storytelling with strong mystery themes, were famously adapted to film throughout the 1970s by filmmakers at Shaw Brothers. None were more noteworthy than leading wuxia filmmaker Chor Yuen whose Gu Long adaptations included hits like KILLER CLANS, THE MAGIC BLADE and THE SENTIMENTAL SWORDSMAN.

Yeoh stated that her character is very complex and suggested that her motives and morality would be in question.

In preparation for his role, Jung said that he has been training with wushu coaches and found doing screen action in China to be very different from Korea. Although not as experienced in action as Yeoh, Jung has had several leading martial arts roles in Korean action films that include MUSA and THE RESTLESS.

Shawn Yue will portray the main villain to tangle with Yeoh. His character is described as an assassin and master noodle chef who appears as a friendly noodle maker by day and becomes a lethal menace by night.

Like many of Hong Kong’s film actors, Yue is also a pop singer and idol who dabbles with action and martial arts roles. He previously starred in DRAGON TIGER GATE, SHAMO and INVISIBLE TARGET.

Production of RAIN OF SWORDS will eventually move to Hengdian and Taiwan before wrapping up in February. It’s due for release in the third quarter of 2010.

Source: Sina, New Express Daily via Wu-Jing.org