[2014.04.22] DEREK YEE OPENS FIRE AT WEAK CASTING CLAIM

Jiang Yiyan
courtesy of on.cc

Derek Yee finally confirms the casting but many are disappointed

Tsui Hark is completely focused

Lin Gengxin practices with a sword
courtesy of mingpao.com

Derek Yee Tung Sing remakes the film that he starred in at age of 19 and made him an overnight sensation, DEATH DUEL (SAM SIU YEH DIK GIM). The casting for the lead role has always been the focus of attention; earlier Louis Koo Tin Lok, Nicholas Tse Ting Fung, Ko Chen-Tung and Eddie Peng Yu-Yan have been rumored, with Mainland actor Lin Gengxin as Yen Shih-San and Angelababy as Candy Yu On On's Hsiao Li. Earlier the film began production in Hengdian and the cast was finally unveiled. Lin Gengxin played the lead role Third Master Chi instead of Yen Shih-San, which Peter Ho Yun Tung would play. Jiang Yiyan and Jiang Mengjie would also perform. However who would play Hsiao Li has not been announced yet. After the cast was unveiled, many were disappointed. Viewers were not optimistic and some in the media even criticized the cast for lacking star power.

Siu Bo was upset and responded online. Siu Bo pointed out that producer Tsui Hark and he were the first and second lead. "When I returned late at night and saw the comments I was surprised, they had praises, conflicts, debates, thunder on a sunny day, crying and screaming. If Tsui Hark and I working together still needs big stars to be able to make you waste your time and spend money on tickets, then we might as well pack up, go home, drink whiskey and talk bs for awhile...Actually the cast is unimportant, Tsui Hark and I are the real first and second male lead!"

This was not the first time that Siu Bo threw a tantrum online about the casting. Earlier he said that he would not use actors with scheduling conflicts, at the time UNBEATABLE (GIK JIN)'s Peng Yu-Yen who rose to fame in Hong Kong was the target. Peng Yu-Yen was rumored to anger Siu Bo with unreasonable conditions and thus was switched out. However Siu Bo never revealed who the person was.