ROTTEN TOMATOES: Lionsgate Will Distribute Jackie Chan/Jet Li Pic, "The Forbidden Kingdom"

Lionsgate Will Distribute Jackie Chan/Jet Li Pic, "The Forbidden Kingdom"

by RT Staff | April 11, 2007

Lionsgate has signed on to distribute the newly-titled "The Forbidden Kingdom," which will feature the much-anticipated onscreen pairing of Jackie Chan and Jet Li.

The film, which Chinese newspapers had been referring to as "Kings of Kung Fu," will begin shooting on May 2 with Rob Minkoff ("The Lion King," "Stuart Little") behind the camera. Michael Angarano is also on board, and Zhang Ziyi is rumored to be in talks for a part in the movie as well. Lionsgate will co-distribute the film with the Weinstein Company.

Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan in the forthcoming "Rush Hour 3"

"The Forbidden Kingdom" is based upon the Chinese legend of the Monkey King. The film will tell the story of an American teenager (Angarano) who finds himself whisked back in time to assist a group of warriors in liberating an imprisoned monarch.

Jet Li in "Fearless"

Curiously, Variety and the Hollywood Reporter give different release dates for the film. Hollywood Reporter says "The Forbidden Kingdom" will be released in the summer of 2008, while Variety reports it will be out in September of that year.

Sources: Variety, Hollywood Reporter

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(1-14 of 14 posts) | Reply

movie_freak27 writes:
on Apr 11 2007 03:40 PM

this movie will be sick!

(Reply to this)

alsanali writes:
on Apr 11 2007 04:02 PM

The words "American teenager" make me wince. i guess that'll be another role to inevitably go to Shia LaBeouf.

(Reply to this)

Xhrix writes:
on Apr 11 2007 05:11 PM

This movie sounds like a lot of fun. I really hope Ziyi gets the part too!
The only way this movie could sound better to me is if I suddenly entered acting and was cast as the american teen LOL

(Reply to this)

ChinaRises writes:
on Apr 11 2007 08:30 PM

I guess my suggestion to call it "Donkey Kung" fell I deaf ears.

Either way, I'm sure it will be hollow, soulless action entertainment(but fun to watch) inspired by the hollow, soulless entertainment that comes out of Hong Kong.

I guess I'll still have to depend on Mainland China to produce quality, dramatic films--even if those films often end up banned there.

(Reply to this)

eastern2western writes:
on Apr 11 2007 09:09 PM

[b]no more chinese movies made by white people[/b]
For some crazy reason, those kinds of movies never manage to work out because it is so hard to translate ancient chinese text to modern english.

(Reply to this)

Shaomaike writes:
on Apr 11 2007 10:59 PM

In reply to this comment (#861123)
[b]Re: mainland China & Hong Kong[/b]
I think you're more than a little mixed up about Chinese movies.

Firstly: The Chinese mainland is simultaneously building up their film industry output and "often" banning films at the same time? That doesn't make sense. Could you please tell us how often mainland-produced films are banned?

Secondly: saying that (apparently all) Hong Kong movies are "hollow" and "soulless" is fine for you, but you just dissed virtually the whole Kung Fu genre and the works of Jacky Chan, Jet Li, John Woo, Bruce Lee, Yuen Wo-ping, Johnnie To, etc. etc. who respectively have plenty of supporters around here.

(Reply to this)

siskel_is_balance writes:
on Apr 12 2007 12:42 AM

An American teenager who goes back in time? And the director is Rob Minkoff??? Why on earth would Jackie Chan and Jet Li choose this as their first collaborative project? They could have made a sterling adventure epic, combining the humour of Chan with the seriousness of Li. THAT would have been fun. I think this movie is going to suck big time.

(Reply to this)

ChinaRises writes:
on Apr 12 2007 06:14 AM

In reply to this comment (#861125)
Farewell My Concubine, Emperor and the Assassin, Temptress Moon, pretty much every dramatic feature by Zhang Yimou, The Blue Kite, Springtime in A SmallTown--these are just a few examples of brilliant dramas that have been made in Mainland China but have either been banned temporarily, permanantly, or have been so censored that they've lost there artistic credibility.

And yes, the filmakers and actors you mentioned from Hong Kong have made some great, entertaining action pics (btw, how could you forget about Andy Lau!!??), but for the most part they are pretty soulless when it comes to real emotion. The only director from Hong Kong who seems capable of this is Wong Kar-Wai and Johnny To, but you didn't mention them either.

(Reply to this)

lonechicken writes:
on Apr 12 2007 08:48 AM

Monkey King is really cool, but the subject matter is so whack that I'm not sure western audiences would be into it.

(Reply to this)

wallstreet_jony writes:
on Apr 12 2007 01:01 PM

this movie will suck as and then be shoved up some bodys ass and end up wormholed into some crapy hollywood video and special edition dvd set with an extra 10,000 hours of more ass sukcing of a movie.

:)

(Reply to this)

unbreakable_samurai writes:
on Apr 12 2007 01:50 PM

Wise move by Lionsgate I'm sure they will make some money on this. I'm guessing September is the right release date.

(Reply to this)

unbreakable_samurai writes:
on Apr 12 2007 01:52 PM

In reply to this comment (#861121)
What are you talking about? Michael Angarano has already been cast in that role.

(Reply to this)

lordofudon writes:
on Apr 13 2007 10:14 AM

I hope Jet Li does a straight adaptation of Monkey King!

(Reply to this)

EdwardLee writes:
on Nov 20 2007 06:39 AM

what a pity that Zhang ziyi will not be in the bovie,but I don't think this movie will be a bomb of boxoffice.

(Reply to this)

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