‘The Grandmaster’s single day opening box office was HK$1.32 million. The film had many memorable scenes. In order to bring to life the Northern and Southern martial arts world, the film was shot on location in Northeast China and Guangdong. Playing the Northern Eight Diagram palm master Zhang Ziyi shot many major scenes in the Northeast. Zhang Ziyi and Max Zhang Jun who played her elder shot a shocking fight sequence at the train station. The aesthetic atmosphere of her practicing Eight Diagram palm in the drifting snow was also a bright spot in the film. However behind the elegance, Zhang Ziyi had to tolerate the Northeast temperature of 30 degrees below zero. Later she still lamented, “I am not willing to experience it again.”
On the other hand, Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Chang Chen earlier appeared on Cable Entertainment Station and said that the kung fu training was very tough. Leung said, “The hardest was persisting. Because I had to fight everyday, of course I thought about quitting. This was normal.” He also revealed that when they started filming he fought very well because he had a knack for it. However he humbly said, “Actually I have learned to get lazy and adjust with positioning, but I practiced too. If I didn’t it didn’t work.” Chang Chen said, “From the beginning I kept practicing, the process was very dull. I couldn’t find any joy, by the third year I finally had some feeling and started feeling it was not tough. Finally now practicing is a part of my life.”
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