[2025.02.11] JOHNNIE TO "RESCUES" ALBERT MAK BEFORE HIT N FUN

Albert Mak says that while making HIT N FUN he lacks security and self-confidence as the deadline approaches, and keeps wanting to look for excuses from starting work

Chrissie Chau and Louise Wong lands every punch in their fight in the ring

Louis Koo (right) and Tony Wu (left) play a legendary champion and his disciple

Louise Wong can become a stunt person with her fighting spirit

Despite her screen time, Chrissie Chau still trains hard for her fight scenes
courtesy mingpao.com

Director Albert Mak Kai Kwong has directed Lunar New Year films two years in a row. Last year ROB N ROLL (LUM SI GIP ONG) received more than HK$ 20 million and was well received. This year brought actors Louis Koo Tin Lok (Goo Jai), Tony Wu Tsz Tung, German Cheung Man Kit and Philip Ng Wan Lung, together with Gigi Leung Kei, Chrissie Chau Sau Na and Louise Wong Dan Nei to star in HIT N FUN (LUM SI KUET DAU). This year's Lunar New Year box office fell as a whole, but HIT N FUN topped the list of Hong Kong-made Lunar New Year films with a cumulative revenue of nearly HK$ 12 million. Mak Kai Kwong admitted that he was under a lot of pressure. He was once lost, worried that his performance would not be as good as before and his reputation be gone in one shot. Fortunately Director Johnny To Kei Fung (To Sir) "rescued" him and rebuilt his self-confidence. For several days he led the actors to thank the audience, and encouraged himself on his personal social platform, "Before the bell ring, never admit defeat".

Mak Kai Kwong earlier the HIT N FUN production was very rushed, and completely relied on the teamwork of the cast and the crew. The result also had some substance. In addition to Koo Tin Lok and Wu Tsz Tung "bringing eyeballs", he also praised Wong Dan Nei and Chau Sau Na for being tougher than imagined. "Wong Dan Nei with er fighting spirit can actually be a stunt person."

Last year, the Aaron Kwok Fu Sing, Gordon Lam Ka Tung, and Richie Jen (Yam Yin Chai) starred ROB N ROLL won word-of-mouth, which added pressure to Mak Kai Kwong when directing HIT N FUN. He was a little lost, and could not find the direction of storytelling. He asked To Sir for help. "I said I am very scared, scared that everything ROB N ROLL built would be gone in one shot. To Sir said that before making ROB N ROLL I also had nothing. Film production requires a clean slate every time, so I didn't need to give myself too much pressure. I immediately felt comforted and calm. To Sir also reminded me not to run away. Even if I find a problem in the middle of the filming, I have to hold on to the end. Worrying would be useless anyway, so I put this message from To Sir into the film."

However due to the tight production schedule, the limited production budget, and the approaching deadline, he became less and less secure and self-confident. Mak Kai Kwong kept trying to find an excuse not to start work, and once had insomnia for a week. "The last time when I made ROB N ROLL (LUM SI GIP ONG), I took 3 years to write the script and no release date was set. This time I wasn't the screenwriter, and the release was schedueld for the Lunar New Year. As work progressed I realized that many problems couldn't be resolved. Thanks to encouragement from people around me, saying that when I was an assistant director I had no complete script; I have been through 'paper flying' without any issue." He revealed that HIT N FUN did not have a complete script, during the process was a lot of hardship. Using his past experience as an assistant director, he gritted his teeth and got through it. "The screenwriter had it the worst, having to be on the set everyday and talk about what to shoot the next day after work. When he got home he also had to write he script. I have a habit during production, before work I would grab the screenwriter for breakfast or dinner to improve on the film. I have to know the content very well before I can tell actors what to do."

Koo Tin Lok and Wu Tsz Tung played the legendary boxing champion and disciple in the film, Mak Kai Kwong said that they were not require to work out in advance. Koo Tin Lok probably exercises regularly, and Wu Tsz Tung himself has an athletic background, and also practiced Muay Thai before. "Earlier when I played soccer with To Sir and Wu Tsz Tung, I heard Wu Tsz Tung say that he has studied Muay Thai before. The coach felt that he had the potential to be a professional fighter, but in the end he chose to be a baseball player." He said that in the scene where Wu Tsz Tung and Wong Dan Nei had a heart to heart chat, both of them helped with the dialogue. Ultimately they were always in the role, so they knew what was going on better, and the dialogue they came up with might be more accurate.

Wong Dan Nei and Chau Sau Na fought over Chan Charm Man in the film and fought to the death in the ring. In the film Wong Dan Nei did not know anything about Muay Thai, and she had to undergo tough training from Koo Tin Lok before the fight. With every punch landing, anyone who saw would feel bad for her. Mak Kai Kwong praised Wong Dan Nei for her diligence and toughness, so much so that she could be a stunt person, "I saw that she was slammed to the point that she only had half a life left, and asked her if she could keep going?" She didn't complain and said yes immediately. Until one day, she grabbed the script and asked, 'Director, can I not fight in this scene? I fought for a few days, but I haven't recovered yet.' Actually before she spoke, the screenwriter and I have talked about not fighting anymore. Because HIT N FUN isn't a boxing movie, no matter how we shoot the fighting wouldn't be as vigorous and exciting. So much fighting has taken place before, if we keep fighting I am afraid that the audience would get tired of watching. I would rather start with the characters and depict what their state of mind is for the fight. Although Chau Sau Na has few scenes, she is so diligent. She still keeps training despite not having scenes in the middle. When filming the ending fighting scenes, her changes are obviously noticable."