[2024.12.10] DONNIE YEN PRODUCES, DIRECTS, STARS, AND CASTS FOR HIS NEW FILM

Donnie Yen has three jobs on THE PROSECUTOR, and even demands casting decisions to create his dream team

Michael Hui plays the judge

Donnie Yen praises MC Cheung as handsome and tough

Donnie Yen once turned down THE PROSECUTOR, but the other producer of the film Raymond Wong persuaded him to take it

Francis Ng originally had a dramatic scene with Donnie Yen, but it turned into a fight scene
courtesy of mingpao.com

The Donnie Yen Chi Tan produced, directed and starred HK$ 300 million blockbuster THE PROSECUTOR (NG POON) was filmed in Hong Kong. Yen Chi Tan challenged the role of a prosecutor for the first time, praised MC Cheung Tin Fu for his talent in filming and bluntly said that he was worth loving. Yen Chi Tan strived for perfect personal casting, teaming up with Michael Hui Koon Man and Francis Ng Chun Yu to come up with ideas and set off sparks, and praising newcomers for acting without baggage but with new ideas.

In addition to Hui Koon Man, Ng Chun Yu, Julian Cheung Chi Lam, MC Cheung Tin Fu, Kent Cheng Jut Si, Lau Kong, Chan Yan Yin, Fung Ho Yeung, Tommy Chu Pak Hong and others, the lineup of THE PROSECUTOR also had a number of top stars making guest appearances, including Liza Wong Ming Chuen, Ray Lui Leung Wai, Mark Cheng Ho Nam, Sisley Choi Si Bui, Mandy Wong Chi Man, etc.

The film was adapted from true events. The story was about a young man Ma Ka Kit (Fung Ho Yeung) who was accused of drug trafficking without knowing anything. His defense lawyer appeared to be righteous, but actually misled Ma Ka Kit to plead guilty in exchange for the acquittal of the real murderer. Prosecutor Fok Tsz Ho (Yen Chi Tan) found out the clue and was determined to investigate secretly with his own efforts. As he dug deeper and deeper, he found that a huge criminal group was involved behind it. Fok Tsz Ho did not hesitate to risk his career and life, insisted on clearing the name of the innocent, and brought the real culprits to justice with the truth. He successfully preserved the credibility of the Department of Justice and the majesty of the law, while avoided a major miscarriage of justice.

Chi Tai said that he was originally preparing the script of another movie FLASHPOINT 2 (DOH FOR SIN 2) when he suddenly received the script of THE PROSECUTOR from the film's other producer Raymond Wong Pak Ming. Having never played a legal subject, he originally did not plan to take the role. He did not want the audience to see that he was following Dayo Wong Tze Wah's A GUILTY CONSCIENCE (DUK SIT DAI JONG) performance, as he performed so well. Later Brother Pak Ming asked to meet him for tea, and then persuaded him to perform. He said that he was so suitable for the role in the film. Chi Tan proposed to shoot from a new angle, because he did not want to shoot something others have shot before, and at the same time he also began his research. The actor must also be the ones he thought would be suitable.

Playing Fung Ho Yeung's grandfather in the film, Lau Kong was the first candidate for Chi Tan. He said: "At that time I happened to see an interview with Uncle Lau Kong, talking about the bitterness of filming dramas in Malaysia because he wanted to put his son through school. I have worked with Uncle Lau Kong at TVB decades ago. I think he is tough enough. No matter how many setbacks he has in his life, he has a kind of arrogance. I must ask him." The second candidate in Chi Tan's mind was the upstart in the music scene MC Cheung Tin Fu, he smiled and said: "I wanted to ask him to play a young detective, clean, handsome boy full of sunshine, with a little fire and a little unscrupulous, just like when I was young." In addition, Hui Koon Man, who played the judge, and Liza Wong Ming Chuen, who played the secretary for justice, were also suggestions Chi Tan proposed to Brother Pak Ming to invite in person. Luckily everyone hit it off to form this dream combination.

"I have always wanted to work with my idol Michael, in addition when I read the script I already have Wong Ming Chuen locked down as the Department of Justice chief. She was the best choice. Inviting them would be difficult, all thanks to Wong Pak Ming's help they agreed. I really am lucky."

Chi Tan, who challenged the role of a prosecutor for the first time, thought that the scene of more than ten minutes war of words with Michael in the courtroom was the most memorable and the most difficult. He recalled, "I asked myself how to shoot the scene, first I had pressure. I don't want people to feel that they have watched it before. Just then Tze Wah's movie was so powerful and so well made, I said 'crap' how do I make a scene that would feel fresh to people. I studied for a long time, and I shot the dramatic scene like an action scene. I mastered the rhythm and emotions, and pushed the audience to three emotions. The first would be when you came in what were you watching, what the middle of the process gave you so your emotion wouldn't drop, to the end you followed me to elevate the emotions. I wanted to go against the traditional approach, talked back to the judge, and the judge had some comedy dialogue that would make the scene a lot livelier. He and Chu Pak Hong also took verbal jabs at each other. After the production wrapped and I saw the cut, I thought that it wasn't boring and had dramatic flavor so I am relieved." After successfully passing a difficulty, Chi Tan could not help but breathe a sigh of relief after speaking.

Speaking of working with Michael, Chi Tan revealed that in the last scene, Judge Michael stepped out of the courtroom to speak to reporters. He taught Michael how to act, when Micheal heard he shivered and very quickly answer, "OK, Director." He seemed to be saying, "Are you questioning me?" However as a director I had to have my own perspective and I have to look at everyone's sparks from a grand perspective, otherwise I don't need him to be there." Did he challenge Ah Jeh? He said no, he would not make changes for the sake of changes. Although Ah Jeh returned to film after so many years, her performance was very professional. She did not make any special demand and gave the team heart warming encouragements. "Ah Jeh is also a perfectionist. When she arrived at the set, she saw us 'polishing the movie', down to how to put the wine glass. She said that we were very serious at work."

In addition, his "one-on-one" fight scene with Ng Chun Yu in the house was also unforgettable. Because many of the dialogues in this scene were too superficial, later they found commonground. When the official shoot came they improvised a lot of the dialogues. His taunt to challenge Chun Yu to the fight was also a stroke of genius. At the time Chun Yu could not believe it. He was stunned when he asked him, "Mr. Yen, what did he say?" Of course he had to reasonably sell the idea to this Best Actor before he would accept it. The result had a lot of spark.

Playing the role of a young detective, MC had no shortage of action scenes in the film. He frankly admitted that he tailored the action for MC, and at the same time he wanted to find a successor on and off camera. "I am old, the movie has a lot of my own voices like when I told MC, 'I guard my own tail, you take the front, I got the back.'" He praised MC for his agility, talent for fight scenes, and good performance. Although he has not received training beforehand, he would use his experience to watch him. Speaking of his love for MC and tailor-made action scenes for him, Chi Tan did not deny it. "He is worth loving. I like a smart actor with strong comprehension ability, as the director I would be happy." As for MC's acting skills, he made no secret of saying that it was impossible to ask MC to be like veteran actors like Chun Yu or Michael. Acting skills require life experience, and he was still young. Why did he notice MC? He laughed and said, "I have friends around me who really like to listen to MC's singing. Later when I saw MC's music video, I felt that he was suitable for playing a young detective. He had a frank and innocent attitude." He said that he liked to work with young actors, sometimes they would affect him too. Because they have no baggage, I would wonder why they have these ideas. He joked that sometimes his children would think his ideas were outdated. Young actor Fung Ho Yeung and Yen Chi Tan had a prison visit scene. Yen Chi Tan said that he did not mind bad takes and patiently directed him to a breakthrough.

Of course the audience wants to see Chi Tan's fight scenes, this time Chi Tan in addition to dramatic scenes also had no shortage of martial arts scenes; one of which was also very exciting with dozens of big men on the rooftop, lined up for half a night and filmed for a night. He described the several minute long scene had no interruption, the slightest mishap would be troublesome.

In addition, Chi Tan, who had high demands for the set, revealed that in addition to the court scene, the set construction fee of the MTR car was very expensive. That fight scene was also the focus of the whole movie. Except for the platform that was an actual location, the other three cars were constructed sets for the shoot. Just the production cost alone cost millions, because the material of the car was made of the exact metal of the actual car. All the equipment could also move. Chi Tan revealed that when he was piledriven in a scene, he heard a crack. His neck was compressed. He called the insurance agent at three o'clock in the morning, and asked if the entire movie was insured. After learning that there was no impact, he immediately went to the hospital for examination. "I went to the emergency room at 4 AM and discovered the sound was from a dislocated rib. Luckily nothing was broken, but it aggravated an old injury." He admitted frankly that he has never made a movie without getting injured.