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Filming The Grand Master near Diaobingshan

“The Grand Master” has been secretly filming in Diaobingshan, Tieling City for the past two months. In order to prevent the plot from being leaked out, the crew has been extremely strict with reporters visiting the set. Even those delivering food had to sign confidentiality agreements.
On March 30th, reporters were finally able to uncover the latest progress from the movie. Actress Song Hye-kyo finished filming her scenes from the film yesterday. She flew back to South Korea from Shenyang earlier in the day.
Joining the crew after Chinese New Years, Tony Leung had a chance to meet with his idol Zhao Benshan in Diaobingshan. According to sources, Zhao Benshan will be making a guest appearance in “The Grand Master”. While his screen time has still not been confirmed yet, Wong Kar-wai will be keeping the workload light for his friend and will only arrange for him to film one scene in the movie.

http://big5.ce.cn/xwzx/shgj/gdxw/201003/31/t20100331_21210949.shtml

Chinese news report regarding the filming of “The Grand Master” near Diaobingshan, China.
Filming at the old station of South Manchuria Railway (before 1945) with a steam engine. Also some scenes of a big funeral, possibly for Yip Man’s relatives.

http://video.sina.com.cn/ent/m/c/2010-04-12/021668241.shtml

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WKW’s next film: The Eternal Snow Beauty starring Brigitte Lin?


In 2009, Hong Kong newspapers and magazines reported on Brigitte Lin‘s return to film.
Originally thought to be a part as Yip man’s wife in “The Grand Master” it was later speculated that she would star in a different film:

“Brigitte Lin has reportedly decided her return will be with Wong Kar-Wai in an adaption of “The Eternal Yin Hsueh-yen” (aka The Eternal Snow Beauty).
She turned down the role of Ip Man’s wife in “The Grand Master”, as the part wasn’t tailor-made for her, to play the lead in this film.
Filming won’t begin until after “The Grand Master” is completed, Tony Leung wishes to participate.
Taiwanese writer Pai Hsien-yung previously said: “Brigitte Lin is my old friend. She has always wanted to act in movies or dramas adapted from my stories such as “The Eternal Yin Hsueh-yen”, “A Touch of Green'” and etc. I’ve extended my invitations in the past, but she was unable to take up the offer and it was much regretted.”
http://ent.cctv.com/20090901/103273.shtml
http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_59c138c30100ez8i.html

The story:
The Eternal Snow Beauty (永遠的尹雪豔) the aging “Snow Beauty” (Yin Hsueh-yen) looks back on her days as the belle of Shanghai’s Paramount ballroom; she is still the center of attention at upscale mahjong soirees she arranges at her Taipei home.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei_People

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The Grandmasters – Yip Man biopic


Wong Kar-wai‘s next film is The Grand Master (一代宗師), a biopic of Wing Chun teacher Yip Man.
The film will star Tony Leung Chiu-wai in the title role.
Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen, Song Hye-kyo and Zhao Benshan are also confirmed.
The actors have training in Wing Chun and other martial arts styles with Yuen Woo-ping’s stunt team for a couple of months. Their preparation hit a setback in 2009 when Leung broke his left arm during training but he has since recovered.
Gong Li and Brigitte Lin were rumoured to star but nothing came of this.

Before anyone complains that Wong Kar-wai is jumping on the Yip Man bandwagon after the recent film, be aware that WKW has been planning the film for nearly ten years.

Wong Kar-wai formally announced plans to make a film about Ip Man in 2002, with Tony Leung and Yip Chun (son of Yip Man) in attendance. However, filming on “2046” overran due to the outbreak of the SARS virus and the subsequent rescheduling problems of the actors. Additionally, the editing and post-production also took longer than expected. After working on-off on “2046” for four years, as well as extended periods working on “In The Mood For Love” and “Happy Together”, Tony Leung wanted to delay making the Ip Man biopic so he could take time off from working with Wong Kar-wai.
In the interim, Wong Kar-wai planned to make “The Lady From Shanghai” with Nicole Kidman but the project was shelved and he made “My Blueberry Nights” with Norah Jones instead.
He also spent a number of years restoring “Ashes Of Time” which resulted in the new ‘Redux’ version. In 2007, producer Raymond Wong announced that he would make a rival film entitled “Ip Man” starring Donnie Yen. In 2008, Tony Leung turned down a number of films in order to spend an extended period training in Wing Chun for “The Grand Master”.

(UPDATED)
ENGLISH TITLE: The Grandmasters
CHINESE TITLE: 一代宗師, Yut Doi Jung Si (Cantonese title), Yi Dai Zong Shi (Mandarin title), First Generation Master (Literal English translation), The Grand Master (working title)
DIRECTOR: Wong Kar-wai
STORY BY: Wong Kar-wai
WRITTEN BY: Wong Kar-wai, Zou Jingzhi and Xu Haofeng
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Chan Ye Cheng, Song Dai
PRODUCER: Wong Kar-wai, Jacky Pang Yee-wah
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Michael J. Werner
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Philippe Le Sourd
EDITOR: William Chang Suk-ping
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: William Chang Suk-ping
COSTUME DESIGNER: William Chang Suk-ping
ACTION CHOREOGRAPHER: Yuen Woo-ping
MARTIAL ARTS CONSULTANTS: Lau Kar-leung,  Guy Lai, Frankie Chan Fan-kei

ACTORS: Tony Leung Chiu-wai
Zhang Ziyi
Chang Chen
Song Hye-kyo
Zhao Benshan
Wang Qingxiang
Julian Cheung Chi-lam
Bruce Leung Siu-lung
Cung Le
GENRE: Action, biography, drama
COUNTRY: China
STATUS: According to a report from Beijing, filming will run from December 12, 2009 to April 18, 2010
Reshoots began in mid-September. Filming currently suspended due to Tony Leung’s comitment to Derek Yee’s ‘The Great Magician’.
RELEASE DATE: Winter 2011 (Hong Kong)
LANGUAGES: Mandarin, Cantonese
BUDGET: US$25 million
PRODUCTION COMPANIES: Block 2 Pictures, Metropole Organization
TAGLINE: “In Martial Arts There is No Right or Wrong, Only the Last Man Standing.”
PLOT: A biopic of Yip Man — the first Chinese man to teach the martial art of Wing Chun openly, training many major level students, including Bruce Lee.
SYNOPSIS: “With martial arts getting more popular in the Thirties, more people seek to learn them via the professionals at Foshan in Southern China. Some of the experienced masters like to challenge their counterparts and undergoing battles. To have their whole concentration, it is their practice to lock up the venues and no one is allowed to leave during battles. No food and no rest before reaching any results.
Ip Man is a young rich man extremely talented in martial arts, but he chooses to keep a low profile. Yet this doesn’t keep him out of these troubles ahead. One day he is trapped in this battleground so he has to use every means in order to get out of there. The masters are amazed by his abilities. Master Kung and his daughter Kung Yi are amongst, and the latter is attracted to this newcomer.
A high warlord is assassinated by his own guard Yi Xian Tian. All masters in Foshan vow to take Tian down no matter what…”
FILMING LOCATIONS: Chikan Movie and Television City, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
Kaiping, Guangdong, China
Diaobingshan, Tieling City, China
Shenyang, Liaoning province, China
Liaoyang, Liaoning province, China