Teaser trailer screencaps for Wong Kar-wai’s The Grandmasters:
Click images to enlarge.
I would appreciate it if you would link to this post rather than repost the stills on your site.
The Grandmasters Teaser Trailer Plus New Stills
The new teaser trailer for Wong Kar-wai’s The Grandmasters:
Mandarin version:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yvdh7VkLciA]
Cantonese version:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJTQj12cTKw]
Wong Kar-Wai was spotted outside of a Beijing theater and media members got wind of it and rushed over. It was learned to be a secret test screening of a one minute trailer for “The Grandmasters”. Audience members were overheard chatting among themselves afterwards about it and reporters learned that they had signed confidentiality agreements.
http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2011-07-19/01413362921.shtml
Fortissimo Sells Wong Kar-wai’s ‘The Grandmasters’ to Japan
Fortissimo Films has sold Wong Kar-wai’s hotly-anticipated martial arts epic ‘The Grandmasters’ to Gaga Corporation for Japan.
Fortissimo is handling select territories retained by Wong’s Jet Tone Films, including Japan, Korea and India, while Fortissimo chairman Michael J. Werner is serving as associate producer and consultant. The deal was brokered by Fortissimo’s executive vice president, Sales and Acquisitions, Winnie Lau with Gaga chairman Tom Yoda and operating officer for acquisition Satomi Odake.
Wong said “In my conversations with Yoda-san and his team, I came to recognise the tremendous appreciation and passion that they had for my work and for this genre, we are pleased to have them introducing the film to the Japanese audience.†Yoda said: “We are very confident that we can push a new frontier for Chinese films in the Japanese market with this title.â€
Wong recently completed principal photography in China on the $25m film which stars Tony Leung, Zhang Ziyi and Chang Chen.
The Grandmasters Scheduled to Wrap in Mid-May
The martial arts film “The Grandmasters” will be in the can in mid-May.
South Korean Actress Song Hye Kyo recently flew to China to complete her part in the film, according to South Korean media. Directed by Wong Kar-wai, the film is an biographical one based on the story of kung fu star Bruce Lee’s master, Yip Man. Song Hye Kyo plays the role of Yip Man’s wife.
The film also features other A-list stars, including Hong Kong actor Tony Leung and mainland China actress Zhang Ziyi. Director Wong, who is known for long shooting periods, started filming “The Grandmasters” in 2009.
New Promo Still for The Grandmasters
A new promotional still of Tony Leung as Yip Man has been released. Unfortunately, it seems to be a slight variation on the previous ones.
Cung Le Returning to China in April to Film The Grandmasters
In an interview with Strikeforce’s website MMA fighter-turned-actor Cung Le said that he would be returning to film ‘The Grandmasters‘ in April:
Basically, I was in China in early October for a Wong Kar Wai movie called “The Grandmasters†for two weeks…On December 23rd, I wrapped “Dragon Eyes†and came home for Christmas, and then left on the 26th for China for another movie, “The Man with the Iron Fist†for nine weeks of filming. At the same time, “Grandmasters†was filming out there, so I worked a week on that film. It ended up with them wanting to expand my role, so now I’ve got to go back out to China at the end of April to do some more shooting. I’m getting to work with some big names. Wong Kar Wai is a big-time director out there, and Tony Leung, who’s like the Brad Pitt of China.
http://strikeforce.com/news/2011/03/cung-le-movie-star-or-mma-fighter/
On his Twitter account, he noted that he would be “Back to China sometime in April. I have a week of filming on The Grandmasters (2012)” and that “Wong Kar Wai expanded my part on Grandmasters.”
The Grandmasters Continues to Shoot
A few days ago the Wong Kar-wai directed martial arts film ‘The Grandmasters’ was rumoured to require a production halt as Tony Leung would begin work on the Derek Yee’s new film ‘The Great Magician’. However, Sil-Metropole (the production company behind ‘The Grandmasters’) have said that the film has always been in production and no production halt has taken place. Recently more large scale scenes were shot, in one scene over 100 actors were mobilised. Due to the director’s high demands, the extras’ clothing buttoning was not overlooked. Tony Leung has always been working as well. Zhang Ziyi and Zhao Benshan in the forthcoming days will work on important parts of the film as well.
According to the source at the company, ‘The Grandmasters’ was expected to shoot as scheduled then the release companies would decide on its release date.
Filming Halted on The Grandmasters, Release Delayed Until Winter 2011?
Sohu Entertainment News are reporting that filming on ‘The Grandmasters’ has stopped and Wong Kar-wai has something else to be busy with. The film has been in preparation for almost 8 years and in production for 2 years, yesterday was rumoured to be coming to a production halt. It had been assumed that the film was near completion and was in the promotional phase. However, this could not be further from the truth.
In the interim its lead actor Tony Leung, who has focused on making and not taken any other role, recently accepted a role in Derek Yee’s ‘The Great Magician’ whilst he waits for ‘The Grandmasters’ to resume.
According to an insider of ‘The Grandmasters’, actress Song Hye-kyo has left the team in December 2010, and she has not returned in January 2011 when filming resumed. According to the staff, Hye-kyo was ‘very gentle’, she has not complained about the shooting delay as what has been rumoured. She did not need to do any kung fu fighting scenes. Though she should be playing an important role, she has only done a small portion of the shooting, so she might need to return to continue shooting later. However, Wong Kar-wai still has no idea how to fit her into the movie. There is a chance that not only Hye-kyo, but some of the other actors/actresses portions will be ‘cut’. All the main roles including the part played by actor Chang Chen, except Hye-kyo have a lot of fighting scenes.
The release date for ‘The Grandmasters’ has repeatedly been delayed, from National Day to Lunar New Year of this year. Thus its goal was to finish by May. Reportedly from the current progress it would have difficulty with its completion. Wong Kar Wai decided to halt the production for Tony Leung to make money first while he could explore new elements before consider when to resume production. For the past two years Tony Leung has decided not to accept any other film roles so that he could focus fully on playing the role of Yip Man. However, it has been decided that he will begin work on ‘The Great Magician’ in the next few weeks and resume filming on ‘The Grandmasters’ at a later date.
http://yule.sohu.com/20110304/n279640686.shtml
Meanwhile The Hollywood Reporter has noted that the film “has been delayed until the fourth quarter.”
http://http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bona-posts-2010-revenue-gain-163845
The Grandmasters Generating Heat in Berlin
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Weinstein Company, Fox Searchlight and and Sony Pictures Classics are among those interested in Wong Kar-wai’s martial arts movie ‘The Grandmasters’. Also it seems that the film may still be shooting.
“One of the films to watch in Berlin is The Grandmasters, Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar Wai‘s sumptuous telling of the tale of martial arts legend Ip Man.
The story has previously been told in films like Ip Man and Ip Man 2, but Kar Wai, director of Chungking Express and My Blueberry Nights, is generating buzz because the project is his first action movie.
Kar Wai took a break from filming to trek to Berlin, privately showing buyers footage from his epic.
Among those showing strong interest, according to insiders, were execs from Weinstein Co., Fox Searchlight and Sony Pictures Classics. Focus Features is likely in the mix as well.
Wild Bunch is selling international while CAA handles domestic.
The $25 million Chinese-language film might seem to be a tough sell in the U.S., for the mere fact that it isn’t in English. Then again, that didn’t stop Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon from crossing over from art house fare to becoming a major North American box office hit as well as a multiple Oscar winner.
Grandmasters stars Tony Leung, Zhang Ziyi and Chang Chen. Action sequences were choreographed by Yeun Woo-ping.”
Courtesy of the Hollywood Reporter: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/heat-vision/martial-arts-epic-grandmasters-generating-98791
The Grandmasters Unveiled in Berlin
The Wong Kar Wai directed film THE GRANDMASTERS earlier unveiled lead actor Tony Leung Chiu Wai’s GRANDMASTER look, surprising the American Film Market, leading to attention from buyers and fans everywhere and even started an online poster bid fever. THE GRANDMASTERS (YUT DOI JUNG SI) has been in production for awhile. In order to satisfy everyone’s curiosity the film company would strike again by displaying Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi’s action sequences from the film at this year’s Berlin Film Festival and demonstrate the GRANDMASTER fashion without holding anything back.
After Tony Leung’s dark clothes and white straw hat Yip Man look in THE GRANDMASTERS was revealed, people proclaimed the birth of a Chinese super hero and a new icon of a dark warrior. Immediately it became the target of imitation in the business. Because Tony Leung’s dark warrior in the rain look did not clearly show his face, this time the film company will display his heroic look fully in Berlin. Tony Leung’s unique Yip Man look swept across Europe and America and started a GRANDMASTERS fever. Even European and American distributors would spare no expense on promoting this Wong Kar Wai kung fu epic at this year’s Berlin Film Festival film market. They would attract buyers with Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi’s action sequences. Conceivably after Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi, other key characters’ unique looks in the film would gradually be revealed.
European distributors outside the film market center deliberately selected an eye catching spot, built two buildings and filled their walls with Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi’s GRANDMASTERS posters. In the poster Tony Leung used both fists and kicks and displayed his Wing Chun. Zhang Ziyi showed her eight diagram palm style and brought a refreshing look to everyone. Their stills surrounded the building walls and became one of the promotion focus. Wong Kar Wai broke into the European and American markets with IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (FA YEUNG NIN WA), which also began one of the foreign films in the European market with the box office.