[2012.03.23] DONNIE YEN IS NOT BEHIND VINCENT ZHAO'S DISMISSAL

courtesy of takungpao.com

Vincent Zhao Wenzhou crossed the DUT SHU SUN FUN (SPECIAL IDENTITY) production team and even publicly blamed Donnie Yen Chi Tan as the behind the scene dark hand.  Chi Tan later issued a statement to strike back.  Yesterday the DUT production even held a Hong Kong Film Market press conference and issued a statement to the media to deny that Chi Tan was arrogant on the set, that Chi Tan once insisted on casting Zhao Wenzhou but because the production had no way to withstand Zhao Wenzhou's high hotel fee, along with his refusal to accept work order and fruitless communication, finally the production decided to go on without him.

Yesterday DUT's producer Zhang Wang and director Clarence Ford (Fok Yiu Leung).  They immediately issued a statement in response to Zhao Wenzou's comments.  The statement pointed out that Zhao Wenzhou's recent high profile defamation expression not only harmed Yen Chi Tan's personal reputation but also created enormous harm to the film, the production and the investors.  Thus the production after discussion felt the need to call for a press conference to clarify.  Zhang Wang said that the least acceptable of Zhao Wenzhou's "domineering" demand of a hotel chairman suite.  He said, "I am a producer, money to me is the most important.  The subsequent refusal to accept notices, fruitless communication are all reasons we gave up on Zhao Wenzhou.  As for the room cost, I especially need to clarify.  Many newspapers published it as a presidential suite, actually it was a chairman suit -- no discount for that.  I also read what Zhao Wenzhou said.  We wanted to give him a raise, he declined and would rather live a little better.  This is incorrect.  He first made the 'domineering' demand.  I was helpless so I expressed hope to give him a raise, hoping that he would stay in the original executive suite."

The statement also pointed out that during the production's difference of opinion over room cost, because Chi Tan insisted on casting Zhao Wenzhou the production could only helplessly choose to agree to Zhao Wenzhou's demand.  Because Chi Tan felt that Zhao Wenzhou was an excellent action actor, he always hoped that he could stay with the production.  Fok Yiu Leung said that action director Chi Tan yesterday was busy with the final fight scene.  As for Andy On Chi Kit taking over Zhao Wenzhou's character, Fok Yiu Leung said that On Chi Kit was not a replacement.  They added a character that was different from Zhao Wenzhou's character.  He said, "Because of his departure, we had to adjust the script so we added the new character."

As for some media's accusation that the war of words was the production speculation for the film.  Zhang Wang helplessly said, "I had no intention at all to speculate, we only felt that if we didn't speak up, a lot of facts would be twisted.  Thus we had to tell the truth."  He hoped through yesterday's clarification the matter would come to an end.  Because the cast change already caused the production several million in losses, now he only hoped for the filming to be completed properly.