In a press release, Mtime has featured the first Man of Tai Chi poster and is reporting that the film will have a national release this summer and the first trailer will makes its appearance at the Beijing International Film Festival. The article is in Chinese. No copyright infringement is intended with the translation.
Yuen Woo-ping played an important role in the martial arts choreography of Keanu Reeves’ directorial debut which he also acts in. The cast includes Chen Hu (Tiger), who has the leading role, Karen Mok, and Simon Yam. Man of Tai Chi will have a national summer release. Recently, the film had its first poster released. Actor Chen Hu appears in a roaring flame symbolizing the rebirth of traditional tai chi as interpreted by Keanu Reeves through the camera lens. The film will show this new tai chi to audiences. It is reported that Keanu Reeves will bring this new work to the third BIFF later this month and release the film’s first trailer there.
In 1999 The Matrix swept across China. In the film, Neo, played by the nimble, resourceful and handsome Keanu Reeves, made innumerable Chinese fans crazy. Through his work on The Matrix, he met Yuen Woo-ping and Chen Hu and also developed a keen interest in Chinese martial arts, especially tai chi. Many years later, in a joint operation involving many investors, Keanu Reeves, who is one-fourth Chinese, had a wish to direct a tai chi movie in China. To fulfill his wish (dream), he invited Yuen Woo-ping out of the mountains to direct the fighting sequences and his former action teacher Chen Hu to star in the film. Chen Hu has won many awards including the San Francisco International Wushu Invitational Tournament all around champion and the American Karate competition 60 kg champion. His profound martial arts skills and experience, as well as many years of working with the director, made him the ideal candidate to star in Keanu Reeves Tai Chi movie.
The movie poster is elegantly styled. Chen Hu is in a martial arts pose within a ring of flames. Behind him there is another smaller flame that in the Director’s creative mind symbolizes Keanu Reeves’ character chasing him (Hu). In the eyes of Westerners, the Chinese martial arts are full of mystery giving Keanu Reeves room to express his creative imagination in the film. Chen Hu with his many Hollywood achievements stars in the movie which features many fresh new variables (modern situations ) in addition to the traditional martial arts heritage. In addition, the Director will bring the audience a tai chi movie from a Western point of view that is different from other martial arts films seen in the past. The chief investor has said that the 2013 film market will have an action film genre. Man of Tai Chi has first class martial arts action and he hopes that its summer release will heat up the Chinese film market (?box office).
Man of Tai Chi is a collaboration between the China Film Corporation, Wanda Film and Television Media Co, Ltd. Village Roadshow Pictures Asia and Universal Pictures that is slated for the national big screen. In addition, the film’s creative team, considered top-rate, consists of the internationally renowned martial arts coordinator Yuen Woo-ping (Kill Bill, Jinling 13 Hairpin), Director of Photography Elliot Davis (Iron Lady, Twilight Saga) and Chen Guangrong creator of original soundtrack (Bodyguards and Assassins, The Warlords). According to another report, all of the post-production work was completed by the United States team. The strong creative team of heavyweights from East and West, worked together to produce the Chinese and Western heavy-hitter Man of Tai Chi.
The Chinese press release is here.