‘Storm Riders 2′ heads HK digital effects boom

Live-action purists who once marveled at the creative artistry of organic Hong Kong screen fighting, wirework and set design masters will all let out a collective sigh of grief at this news. It appears that the territory is becoming a new hub for computer-animated effects houses. The upcoming comic book-to-film fantasy actioner STORM RIDERS 2 STORM WARRIORS 《风云》, by Danny and Oxide Pang, is the latest product in this surge of digital artistry.

Cheng and Aaron Kwok on the set of STORM WARRIORS.

The brothers Pang, who recently finished a Hollywood remake of their first feature BANGKOK DANGEROUS, are setting a new benchmark for Hong Kong by shooting STORM WARRIORS in a completely digitalized realm, with green screen backgrounds similar to 300. A $12 million budget may seem pretty small by Hollywood standards but as Asian cinema fans know, Hong Kong helmers get a lot more bang for their buck.

STORM WARRIORS and its predecessor are based on a comic book series titled “Fung Wan” by artist and writer Ma Wing-shing. It’s a fantasy wuxia tale set in a fictional Ming Dynasty era and focuses on two martial arts masters nicknamed Wind and Cloud, who struggle to rise up in the martial arts or jiang hu realm.

Left - Ekin Cheng (right) accidently clocks Aaron Kwok in the head on the set of STORM WARRIORS. Right - STORM WARRIORS may feature a lot of digital fakery but the pain Aaron Kwok is feeling is real.

Aaron Kwok and Ekin Cheng are returning to their original roles and will be supported by Simon Yam, Nicholas Tse and Charlene Choi.

Universe Entertainment is producing the film and its CEO, Alvin Lam isn’t mincing words about their intentions. “It is more than an adaptation. Visually, it will be a comicbook. CG will be dominant throughout.” According to Variety, Lam also states they are shooting for a look never before seen in a Hong Kong movie. With the Pangs directing it’s no idle boast. The filmmakers are not new to CG effects. They put them to good use in their visually arresting 2006 fantasy/horror film RE-CYCLE. (see trailer below)

Effects work in STORM WARRIORS is being handled by a new company, FatFace Prods which was founded by Centro alum Ng Yuen-fai. Hong Kong-based Centro Digital has been a leader in digital effects work in the region with past credits that include the original STORM RIDERS, Disney’s THE MAGIC GOURD and KUNG FU HUSTLE.

Andrew Lau directed the original STORM RIDERS. Released in 1998, it was one of Hong Kong’s first large-scale CG effects films. Lau followed with a loose sequel, A MAN CALLED HERO (1999). This film was largely set in late 19th-century New York and culminated in an impressive fantasy (for its time) battle on top of the Statue of Liberty.

Although originally a decade behind Hollywood and lacking the same financial muscle, the Hong Kong film industry gradually embraced digital effects in films such as Tsui Hark’s LEGEND OF ZU (2001) and DUEL (2000), another wuxia film from Andrew Lau.

Lau was Hong Kong’s first digital champion but in recent years that role has been filled by comedy actor and filmmaker Stephen Chow who used digital effects to help break out into the international arena with his smash hit SHAOLIN SOCCER. He followed that with even more CG work in hits KUNG FU HUSTLE and CJ7. The latter film, which broke from Chow’s formula to offer an E.T.-style family film centered on an animated alien, flopped internationally but was well received in mainland China.

With films like DRAGON TIGER GATE and CJ7 being released with visuals comparable to Hollywood, digital effects in Hong Kong action cinema looks to be here to stay. This may be a frustration for some of us when it often seems that Hong Kong is trading in authentic, Jackie Chan-style stunt work for post-production trickery already common in Hollywood. However, young actors with Jackie Chan’s skill set are virtually extinct and Hong Kong filmmaking must stay competitive to survive. Computer effects work may be one avenue for the local industry to continue leading in, at least until the next crop of martial arts superstars arrive to wow us all with skills in front of the camera instead of behind it.

Source: Variety, Sina