Related News
Chinese epic to be recut for Western audiences
By Min Lee |
00:00 UTC+8 January 7, 2009
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
JOHN Woo is preparing to introduce his first Chinese-language film in 16 years to foreign audiences after the historical epic proved a massive success in Asia.
The Hong Kong native said yesterday that he has finished editing an international version of "Red Cliff" and is offering it to American distributors. It has already been picked up in Europe and South America.
The US$80 million epic, based on an ancient Chinese battle, was split into two installments lasting a combined five hours for Asia, but a single movie lasting two hours and 25 minutes has been prepared for audiences elsewhere.
"For Western viewers, watching a foreign-language movie and reading subtitles is very tough," Woo told The Associated Press.
The war epic is set in the Three Kingdoms (220-280AD) historical period.
The first installment of the "Red Cliff" project was a big hit when it was released across Asia in July, earning more than US$100 million thanks to a US$50-million performance in Japan and US$44 million earned on Chinese mainland. In South Korea, the epic drew more than 1.6 million viewers - about 130,000 more than the Batman sequel "The Dark Knight."
The second installment will debut in China tomorrow and across the rest of the continent later this month.
Woo said the international version of "Red Cliff" focuses on the main characters and eliminates peripheral ones. But, he says, both versions are more down-to-earth than their contemporary Asian rivals, concentrating on grounded battle scenes over far-fetched gravity-defying kung fu fighting sequences.
"I wanted to make Asian audiences feel it's a familiar story but also make Western audiences feel they're watching a love story like 'Troy' or an Asian version of 'Gladiator,'" Woo said.
The Hong Kong native said yesterday that he has finished editing an international version of "Red Cliff" and is offering it to American distributors. It has already been picked up in Europe and South America.
The US$80 million epic, based on an ancient Chinese battle, was split into two installments lasting a combined five hours for Asia, but a single movie lasting two hours and 25 minutes has been prepared for audiences elsewhere.
"For Western viewers, watching a foreign-language movie and reading subtitles is very tough," Woo told The Associated Press.
The war epic is set in the Three Kingdoms (220-280AD) historical period.
The first installment of the "Red Cliff" project was a big hit when it was released across Asia in July, earning more than US$100 million thanks to a US$50-million performance in Japan and US$44 million earned on Chinese mainland. In South Korea, the epic drew more than 1.6 million viewers - about 130,000 more than the Batman sequel "The Dark Knight."
The second installment will debut in China tomorrow and across the rest of the continent later this month.
Woo said the international version of "Red Cliff" focuses on the main characters and eliminates peripheral ones. But, he says, both versions are more down-to-earth than their contemporary Asian rivals, concentrating on grounded battle scenes over far-fetched gravity-defying kung fu fighting sequences.
"I wanted to make Asian audiences feel it's a familiar story but also make Western audiences feel they're watching a love story like 'Troy' or an Asian version of 'Gladiator,'" Woo said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
