ROTTEN TOMATOES: Chow Yun Fat Bails on John Woo's $80m Epic

Chow Yun Fat Bails on John Woo's $80m Epic

by Scott Weinberg | April 17, 2007

Just a few weeks after Tony Leung left John Woo's "Red Cliff" mega-movie, co-star Chow Yun Fat has done the same thing ... and the production was already three days into shooting!

The priciest film production in China's history is losing its actors left and right! Specifics weren't doled out, but it seems that contractual roadblocks required Chow Yun Fat to quit Lee's "Red Cliff" -- and it sure doesn't sound like he's coming back. Filmmakers are already rearranging the production schedule while they scramble to find a replacement. "Unreasonable demands" are allegedly what Chow was doling out.

Woo's first Chinese film in quite a while, "Red Cliff" is budgeted at about $70 million (U.S. dollars) and looks to clock in at well over three hours. (In some countries it's going to be released as two films.) Good luck to John Woo on the rest of this production; sounds like things are starting out pretty rough.

Source: Variety

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(1-13 of 13 posts) | Reply

Vicens17 writes:
on Apr 17 2007 03:41 AM

ouch.

(Reply to this)

saiga6360 writes:
on Apr 17 2007 04:51 AM

Bring in some younger guys to do 3 Kingdoms

(Reply to this)

ChinaRises writes:
on Apr 17 2007 05:37 AM

I've never been a John Woo fan. I know he pioneered much of the choreographed shoot-out scenes that Hong-Kong is known for today, but his films always felt to fake and staged. Other than "Bullet in the Head", his Asian releases were mostly only fair, and other than "Face/Off", his American films all sucked.

I don't know why he should get this kind of budget when directors like Johnny To do these type of action films so much better. I guess its all about name value--not quality.

(Reply to this)

blank blank writes:
on Apr 17 2007 07:17 AM

(flock of white doves scatter in slow mo)

(Reply to this)

stevegilpin writes:
on Apr 17 2007 08:53 AM

In reply to this comment (#861801)
[b]John Woo = hack[/b]
I agree. I liked Bullet in the Head, as well as The Killer and Hard Boiled. That was my introduction to Chow-Yun Fat, who now seems to be more talented than the likes of John Woo. I agree that basically all of John Woo's American films have sucked. I feel bad for the guy, but he needs to learn a lesson, maybe?

(Reply to this)

Vitamin M writes:
on Apr 17 2007 10:14 AM

He should have just done He-Man....no really!

(Reply to this)

unbreakable_samurai writes:
on Apr 17 2007 10:41 AM

I think John Woo's great, I love most of his films. And I'm really looking foreward to this one. That's shit that his actors keep bailing on him. They should bring in Donnie Yen for a role.

(Reply to this)

okuonuora writes:
on Apr 17 2007 01:08 PM

In reply to this comment (#861803)
What lesson? That he shouldn't use big actors who might have contractual obligations elsewhere? John Woo was groundbreaking and helped create a style of filmmaking that has been copied the world over...not exactly a "hack". And ChinaRises, you have made clear your love for prissy art movies, so your opinion is pretty much meaningless here.

(Reply to this)

ChinaRises writes:
on Apr 17 2007 02:14 PM

In reply to this comment (#861806)
Johnny To is the director of prissy art movies??--guess you never saw Fulltime Killer, Election 2 or Throwdown.

A movie is either good, bad, or in between in my opinion, regardless of what genre it falls in. Are you the type of movie fan who only likes dumb, cliched action to entertain you for a couple of hours or something? Is this how you view your own life, as thoughtless?? If you are, than YOUR opinion is pretty much meaningless on a site devoted to those who love film

(Reply to this)

Dread86 writes:
on Apr 17 2007 02:41 PM

Dammit. I knew Chow & Woo together again was too good to be true.

(Reply to this)

Kid_Ikarus writes:
on Apr 17 2007 02:53 PM

Funny how overused the term "hack" is everytime someone dislikes a directors stlye.

(Reply to this)

eastern2western writes:
on Apr 17 2007 06:43 PM

Personally, I am glad chow is gone because the guy's mandarin is beyond bad and he is not a very good actor

(Reply to this)

Assassin writes:
on Apr 17 2007 09:53 PM

In reply to this comment (#861807)
[b]We got a smart one here[/b]
So movies are either good, bad or in between???

HAHAHAHH!!

Captain obvious for the win. Thats about as dumb as saying a any number on a scale of 1-10 is either 1,10 or somethign in between.

YOU THINK?!?!?!?!

(Reply to this)

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