It seems no one is safe from remakes. Perhaps spurned on by rumours of the Blood Brothers remake, perhaps because he is bored, or perhaps because he loves Chang Cheh and wants to honor to him by remaking one of his films, Andy Lau is reportedly thinking about remaking one of the classics of Kung Fu cinema, Wu Du, or, The Five Deadly Venoms.
Sina.com.cn reports that Hong Kong superstar has planed to finance a remake of WU DU (Five Deadly Venoms / Five Venoms / Pick Your Poison), by late martial-art film director Chang Cheh. The original report claims the cast will probably include Edison Chen (Dog Bite Dog, Initial D, Infernal Affairs), Maggie Q (Live Free or Die Hard, Mission: Impossible III) and Lau himself, the film will be shot in English with director Kirk Wong (The Big Hit, Jackie Chan Crime Story). Released in 1978, the original Wu Du tells that a young kung-fu protégé is ordered by his dying master to eliminate the evil ones among five of his previous protégé, known as the Five Venoms. Each of the Five Venoms has a lethal skill learned from a toxic animal. The young protégé have to find and team up with the good one among the Five Venoms, to defeat the evil ones. Shooting would begin right after the Chinese New Year next spring.
I'm trying to change my opinion on remakes. I honestly am. I have been less than favourable to the idea of it. But, I am trying to bring a more positive perspective to them. While I still cherish all the Chang Cheh films I think that any exposure to his legacy of filmmaking is a good one. Who knows what will happen if someone hasn't watched the original film and they pick it up on DVD. A whole new world of film will open up to them, where the blood flows freely and sings bright red. They will be witness to the filmmaker who influenced some modern auteurs. Who know what it will spawn?
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Aaw man.
I'm all up for a remake of any of the Venoms series, but make sure its set in the same histirical context & with some of the best contemporary fighter around. Someone like Wu-Jing would be perfect for a start.
...but Maggie Q Edison Chen, Andy Lau & in English? Forget it. Sounds like a right-off already.
Hell, i'd even pay double to see some inspired casting like Tony Jaa, Mark Dacascos, Mathis Landwehr, Jeong Du-hong & Michael Jai White in The International Venoms Unleashed or like. Ha ha.
Kirk Wong. Oh dear... with that would come crap close-up Hollywood/MTV editing style.
So, there is two movies based on the same story "Battle of the Red Cliff" with John Woo, and now this one "Three Kingdom". Hmm, I don't know what is worse; remakes, sequels, or two or three or four different movies based on same story. How tiring...
Can Lau really speak good enough English to pull that off? It doesn't seem like it in Fulltime Killer.
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