[2022.12.03] DONNIE YEN'S NEW FILM REPORTEDLY WOULD BECOME A STREAMING MOVIE

Donnie Yen is both the film's director and star

Donnie Yen, Kara Wai, Wong Jing, Cya Liu, Grace Wong and others have a pleasant production and meet up for dinner

courtesy of on.cc

Grace Wong is invited to a beauty salon opening
courtesy of singtao.com

Grace Wong says after I'VE GOT THE POWER her relationship with TVB would come to an end
courtesy of mingpao.com

The Donnie Yen Chi Tan directed film SAKRA (TIN LUNG BAK BO ji KIU FUNG JUEN) started production in July in Hengdian and shot on location on the Mirror Lake and in Shanxi. Early in the preparation stage, Chi Tan and his wife Cissy Wang scouted locations all over China and went through a strict selection for a lead actress. He prohibited any "plastic surgery" as he swore to find a female star with looks and acting abilities to start. In the end the role of "Ah Ji" ended up in the hands of the Hong Kong Film Award Best Actress Cya Liu while the role of "Ah Ju" went to Yukee Chen Yuqi.

When Cya Liu joined the production, Chi Tan also personally instructed the fight scenes. Although at the time she just won the Hong Kong Film Award Best Actress and the team wanted to celebrate with her, she did not give up this great opportunity and focused on training with Chi Tan. The other lead actress Chen Yuqi gave up her good looks to appear bald in the film. Each time the skull cap would take a long time to put on, but she was all in. The entire team has proven that it spent a lot of effort into making the film. This film earlier wrapped up production. Chi Tan returned to Hong Kong immediately to fully jump into its post production work. Nothing was left to chance!

The audience of course has been looking forward to the film. However earlier reports pointed out that the film would be just like Wong Jing's two other film productions last year, the Raymond Lam Fung starred films NEW KUNG FU CULT MASTER 1 and 2 and be released on Mainland internet platforms for the Year of the Rabbit Spring Festival Lunar New Year slot. In other words the film would give up the cinemas, which would be quite a surprise! Actually in recent years many big productions have had disappointing releases at the cinemas. Another one of Chi Tan's film, the 200 million yuan Mainland film COME BACK HOME (SAU GAU) opened in October. Despite decent word of mouth but perhaps due to the pandemic the film only made 22 million yuan. Wong Jing last year also due to the weakened Mainland box office and the high cinema marketing and distribution costs gave up the theatrical releases for KUNG. In addition many internet platforms would welcome new members with discounts on major holidays, aside from the viewers benefiting the viewership coverage would definitely be higher than cinemas. So it could be said to be a "win win" strategy for viewers and film companies.

Reporters contacted Wong Jing about SAKRA being released on an internet platform. He replied, "More to be announced later." Chi Tan has yet to respond.

In addition, Cya Liu earlier shot a video and mentioned the hardship before her fame. She pointed out that once on the set, both she and the lead actress had to go to the bathroom. The production assistant ended up stopping her and said that all the shots have to be done before she could go. Yet at the end the production has yet to reach her shoot. Such an unfair treatment left a deep impression with her. She also told herself to have to work hard and fight for herself.

Grace Wong Kwan Hing who has been a part of the film welcomed the move to streaming. "I know the film would be released on three major Mainland platforms, which of course is good. More viewers would be able to see it. However I don't know whether other places would get theatrical releases. Let's wait for the company to make the arrangements and announcements."

She revealed that since working on SAKRA she has received many film offers. "I am looking at several scripts, some from Taiwan, Thailand and the U.S. I am pretty happy. If it would happen I could take the chance to travel the world."