[2022.12.18] BOSCO WONG'S NEW FILM GOES OVER SCHEDULE AND BUDGET

The production after celebrating Bosco Wong's birthday in advance on the 11th has already announced a production halt

The doubles kept shooting the same scene over and over
courtesy of on.cc

The Bosco Wong Chung Chak and Jacky Cai Jie starred new film originally was scheduled to wrap up production by the middle of the month, but because first time director Chan Sap Sam has been rather stubborn with his production, many shots needed to be shot 20 or 30 times. The production has gone severely over schedule, and actors' schedules for now have not been able to coordinate. Thus the entire production team would need to be halted. Now the film has not been able to wrap up production as scheduled and would need additional units to be shot, so the financing would also need to be increased. The team would have to raise the funding to wrap up the shoots.

The classic ATV series MY DATE WITH A VAMPIRE (NGOR WOR GEUNG SI YAU GOR YEUK WUI) started production on the film version KUI MOR LUNG JOOK MA SIU LING, which has caught attention from its preparation to production. The film's director is the series' screenwriter Chan Sap Sam. The cast includes Wong Chung Chak, Cai Jie, Rosita Kwok Pak Yin and Annie Liu (Lau Sum Yau). Although the film earlier held its production start ceremony, the production has started for awhile. Originally scheduled to wrap up by the middle of the month, reportedly director Chan Sap Sam was very anxious about his new film as a first time director. Thus his demands for the production have been rather high, in particular for the aesthetics of the shoots he even demanded to be almost perfect. Many shots had to be shot over many times, which drove the production over schedule and so far still unable to wrap up.

Earlier, the team shot in a Kowloon Bay shopping center. In it the Ma Siu Ling double was hung from 3 stories high to the second floor to fight with vampires. This only one minute scene took over 4 hours to shoot! The character used two doubles, who kept running up and down in the shopping center just for one shot.

KUI has been unable to complete production before the production wrap date, but actors like Wong Chung Chak and others have already taken other jobs. Thus the team on the 11th after completing a large scale scene at the ATV studio and celebrating Wong Chung Chak's birthday in advance halted production and has been unable to continue the shoot. The production went over schedule and had to find other days for make up shoots, in other words the production would also go over budget. Reportedly whether the investors would "pump in" more funding remained unknown. The team has a huge headache over getting more financing, actor schedules and financing issues have also run into trouble.

Chan Sap Sam admitted, "Indeed the production has gone over schedule, because we didn't want to show randomly just for the schedule. I am very grateful that the cast and the crew have been very united. Right now I am waiting for the artists to check their schedules and start up production again at the right time. (Are the investors willing to add to the investment?) This would have to wait until after I am done editing the film and see how many actual days of productions would be needed before I talk to them. Ultimately the investment would need to be increased, so we need to take our time with the negotiation. (Has your directing debut been giving you a lot of pressure?) That's definite, the production has halted so far. I am still shooting the movie in my dreams, so you know how great the pressure is! However I really enjoy it, and I am very happy to have such a good team. (How has Wong Chung Chak's performance been?) Of course it has been great! He and I already have great chemistry. We wouldn't need to say too much in a lot of cases before he would already achieve what is needed. He is a very good actor."

Director Chan has put all of his thoughts onto this film. He also called in favors and invited many artists to guest star. His wife Joey Man Yi Man, Ma Siu Ling of the series of course also supported him. Earlier she has returned from the Mainland to Hong Kong for the production. Although they have been married for years, they are still as loving as ever. Reportedly her role this time would not be a demon slayer but a pretty vampire. Chan Sap Sam however continued to play coy. "I am not talking about that. Ultimately everyone would be pleasantly surprised!"