[2014.02.13] THE MONKEY KING SEQUEL STARTS PRODUCTION IN AUGUST

Law Chung Him, Hai Yitian, Carlson Cheng, producer Liu Xiaoguang, Zhang Zilin, Xia Zitong, Chow Yun Fat, Donnie Yen, director Soi Cheang, Aaron Kwok

Zhang Zilin

Xia Zitong may be brought back due to her performance
courtesy of on.cc

courtesy of singtao.com

Chow Yun Fat, Donnie Yen and Aaron Kwok toast to the success of THE MONKEY KING

Alex Wong

Fat Gor and Fat Soh
courtesy of mingpao.com

Chow Yun Fat, Donnie Yen Chi Tan and Aaron Kwok Fu Sing last night attended the film THE MONKEY KING (SAI YAU GEI ji DAI LAU TIN GUNG) celebration. An ice breaking ceremony took place as the company wished for the box office to break HK$1.5 billion; the ice breaking sent ice pieces all over, Fat Gor and Yen Chi Tan were splashed and rubbed their eyes. Filmko boss Alex Wong Hoi Fung said that currently the Mainland box office was already over 800 million RMB and the Hong Kong box office was HK$25 million. Due to the success, he has decided to make a sequel THRICE STRUCK WHITE BONE SPIRIT (SAM DA BAK GWUT JING) in August with a 400 million RMB budget for a 2016 Lunar New Year release. Now Louis Koo Tin Lok has been confirmed to play the Venerable Monk Tang; as for whether Yen Chi Tan and Fat Gor will participate he said that they had to negotiate again. He joked that Yen Chi Tan's salary was very expensive.

When Wong Hoi Fung was asked if Yen Chi Tan will take part in the sequel, he said, "Chi Tan is very expensive, would you please give him so pressure and tell him to charge less! (Will Fat Gor work on it?) Let me ask him first! JOURNEY TO THE WEST has many stories and could be made into 4 or 5 different stories. (Reportedly Koo Tin Lok will play the Venerable Monk Tang in the sequel and Huang Xiaoming will play Piggy?) Goo Jai has been OKed, Huang Xiaoming has not responded yet. (Would Goo Jai be too tan to play the Venerable Monk Tang?) I saw him yesterday and he wasn't too tan, the journey to the west for scriptures was far and naturally he would get a tan."

Yen Chi Tan heard Wong Hoi Fung calling him expensive and said, "I am already very cheap! I charged the friendly rate. The boss asked me to charge the rate from 10 years ago, would you please tell Brother Fung not to be so greedy. (Will you make the sequel?) I have to ask my wife. Everyone had fun from working together and wanted to work together again, everything would depend on time. However in August I will have to make CROUCHING TIGER HIDDEN DRAGON 2 (NGOR FU CHONG LUNG 2) for 3 months. If Brother Fun is sincere I will accommodate with my schedule. This time CROUCHING TIGER 2 will be a reunion with my mentor Yuen Wo Ping after 17 or 18 years. I hope we will have spark. (Would you spar with him?) I don't dare to spar, I would give some suggestions."

Fat Gor also said that he needed Fat Soh's approval to work on the sequel, mainly it will depend on the script. However, his described his August schedules as chaotic like the Seven States. Fat Soh arranged for a lot of work as he will make a foreign film, a Mainland film, an Indian film. Some joked that an Indian film would require singing and dancing, to which he said no problem. Speaking of high salary, he joked, "I am not the one who is charging the expensive rate, Fat Soh is. It's not my problem. I am not qualified to discuss salary, I only work. If we do, I don't want too many action scenes." He knew that Koo Tin Lok would play the Venerable Monk Tang and praised Goo Jai as very handsome. "His tan isn't important, he can just bleach it! Wash his face everyday with lemon water, he also has to keep a vegetarian diet and bathe. He should be able to for the 2 to 3 month long production. He used to be pretty white too. I have never worked with Goo Jai before. Even if I play the Jade Emperor and he plays the Tang Monk, with one in Heaven and the other on Earth we won't have any scene together."

Kwok Fu Sing knew about the sequel, so far he did not know if he would not have part. He wanted to work together again, but in August he will have to work on COLD WAR 2 (HONG JIN 2). As for Wong Hoi Fung's expensive salary claim, he said that he was not expensive. In comparison to Fat Gor and Chi Tan he was the best value. Everything was left to the manager to discuss. Some pointed out that Fat Gor will take part in COLD WAR 2. He hoped that it was real and to have more scenes together. In March he will shoot another film in Beijing, which will be very challenging. Speaking of the leg injury that he was still recovering from, he said, "I told Mommy. Now I am getting physical therapy and would take three months to get back. However basic movement is fine." Sing Sing was picking a screen writer for his directing debut and hoped to started production next year.