[2024.10.27] LOUIS KOO IS NOT MAKING A LUNAR NEW YEAR FILM TO BAIL OUT THE MARKET

Louis Koo wants to make a happy movie and spread joy.

Chrissie Chau puts on the boxing gloves.
courtesy of on.cc

Gigi Leung says Louis Koo still has quite the sense of humor.
courtesy of singtao.com

Shiga Lin attends the celebrity advanced screening.
courtesy of mingpao.com

Louis Koo and Gigi Leung work together on a Lunar New Year film again after 22 years, playing a couple this time

Tony Wu, German Cheung and Philip Ng work together again after TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN

Each actor holds a couplet to wish everyone an early Happy New Year

Chrissie Chau says after the injury she thought she was fine, but the wound busted open and she needed to go to the hospital for 5 stitches.
courtesy of mingpao.com

Louis Koo Tin Lok, Gigi Leung Wing Kei, Chrissie Chau Sau Na, Peter Chan Charm Man, Louise Wong Dan Nei, Tony Wu Tsz Tung, German Cheung Man Kit, and Philip Ng Won Lung appeared at Central yesterday for the ROB N ROLL (LUM SI GIP ONG) director Albert Mak Kai Kwong directed Hong Kong-made Lunar New Year film HIT N FUN (LUM SI KUET DAU). The set had lion dance, firecrackers, couplets and was filled with Lunar New Year atmosphere.

Koo Tin Lok was rumored to make the Lunar New Year at the last minute, and asked the rising in popularity actors from TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN to star; but due to how sudden it was, out of the "Four Sons of the Walled City" only Wu Tsz Tung and Cheung Man Kit had room on their schedules. Goo Jai said that he mainly wanted to make a happy movie this time, which had nothing to do with the rumored "bailout of the market". Everything was planned. With the Lunar New Year 3 months away, the production would not be rushed.

Leung Wing Kei and Koo Tin Lok have worked together on the 2002 Lunar New Year film FAT CHOI SPIRIT (LEK GU LEK GU SUN NIN CHOI). Their previous collaboration was ABERDEEN (HEUNG GONG JAI) 10 years ago. At the time she was not a mother yet. She said, "Working together again on a Lunar New Year comedy, Goo Jai still has quite a sense of humor. We play husband and wife in the movie, mainly it is about overcoming the obstacles within and challenging yourself. It's pretty inspiring." Goo Jai said that the most difficult part of making a comedy was that many jokes were not written in the scripts, but from on the spot group improvisations during the shoot. Leung Wing Kei had boxing training before and realized that getting hurt was very easy. "I don't have many boxing scenes, I would leave them for Chau Sau Na and Wong Dan Nei. However I would have my hair pulled in the mix." Goo Jai felt that girl fights without any protective measures would be easier to get hurt in than boxing. Would he take special care of the actresses during fight scenes? Goo Jai joked, "I haven't 'kissed' girls." Playing a retired Hong Kong boxing champion in the film, he revealed that he would have a fight scene and even opposite Cheung Man Kit in a master and disciple duel. Was he worried that he would be no match for Cheung Man Kit? He joked, "He (Cheung Man Kit) will have to improvise, he can't hit me at will." Would he work out for the role in the film? He said, "I'm retired, I have to take a break. Leave that for the younger actors. (Would Aaron Kwok Fu Sing guest star?) I don't know yet."

Speaking of Patrick Kong (Yip Lim Sum)'s new film QUEEN OF MAHJONG (MA JEUK NUI WONG JUI NAM JAI parodying TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN characters "Tornado" and "Shun Yat", Goo Jai said that they were very funny. He thought Benz Hui Siu Hung as "Tornado" had a lot of comedic effect. The Lunar New Year film would be pretty happy and he was not upset. "The character has to be successful for it to be parodied." Earlier at a fan held birthday party, when he picked up a baby and heard the baby cry he immediately handed it back to the parents. Goo Jai said, "When the baby cries of course you give it back to the parents, it is very reasonable. (When would you hold one of your own?) I don't know. (Next year?) Do you think I am an alien? Able to asexually reproduced?"

Missing Raymond Lam Fung and Terrance Lau Chun Him from the "Four Sons of the Walled City", Cheung Man Kit and Wu Tsz Tung both expressed regret. Ng Won Lung felt that if everyone together would be even better, but the Lunar New Year film has many actors in the cast and would be very cheerful and joyous. Would he play the villain again? Ng Won Lung said that he did not know because the script kept changing. Originally he did not need to fight, now he has to box too. "Earlier I took two months off to recover from the leg injury, so I have to train to get into a little better shape." Wu Tsz Tung and Cheung Man Kit had the same master in the film. The former said that he has exercised before the production started and was a little thinner. He did not deliberately work out, because he did not need to be very big to box. Cheung Man Kit said, "Wu Tsz Tung would fight with a Thai boxer. I would fight with Mr. Koo, who would play the Hong Kong boxing champion. (Would he dared to hit his boss?) No, it would depend on the moves the action director would come up with. Even if we have to fight fol real we have to take every opponents seriously." They said that the action scenes would not be as tough as TWILIGHT, because the Lunar New Year film would pay more attention to comedy.

In addition, Chau Sau Na and Wong Dan Nei revealed that in the film they played female boxers and would have many fight scenes. Chau Sau Na said that after returning from making a drama in Malaysia she has already begun Muay Thai training, and she has been in training for a month. However on the first day of work when she fought with Wang Dan Nei she immediately got hurt. "In the story she and I started to fight with our bare hands, I couldn't use the gloves. In the chaos a chair hit my left leg. At first I thought it was just a scratch, but the wound burst open. I even had to go to the hospital for 5 stitches. No one wants an accident to happen." Wong Dan Nei also suffered minor injuries from this scene and was bleeding from her ankle. Luckily she did not need stitches. Wong Dan Nei joked, "Our goal is very clear, we are fighting over Chan Charm Man."