Zhang Yimou said that the plot of "Burning City" "fills the gap in Hong Kong movies" and the visual effects in the movie are "very realistic and great." After watching the film, Guo Fan bluntly said that it was "heart-shaking" and described it as "a shock to the face"... On Novem

Zhang Yimou said that the plot of "Burning City" "fills the gap in Hong Kong movies" and the visual effects in the movie are "very realistic and great." After watching the film, Guo Fan bluntly said that it was "heart-shaking" and described it as "a shock to the face"...

On November 1st, the film "Burning City" produced by Jiang Zhiqiang will be released nationwide, and is currently being screened. The box office exceeded 5 million yuan. Before the movie was released, Jiang Zhiqiang expressed his inner feelings in an exclusive interview with a reporter from Red Star News.

In recent years, different types of Hong Kong movies such as " Anita Mui ", " Still Think You're the Best " and " Vicious Lawyer " have achieved good market success. This is inseparable from producer Jiang Zhiqiang's accurate judgment on content and market. . This time, Jiang Zhiqiang still doesn't want to repeat himself. He wants to make a brand new Hong Kong commercial film.

In Jiang Zhiqiang's view, every movie he makes is a gamble. Will he win this time?

Make a different Hong Kong movie

A natural disaster accidentally caused a radiation leak, and the whole city was in danger. How to prevent this devastating disaster? Environmental expert Fan Weili (played by Andy Lau) and senior executive Cecilia (played by Mo Wenwei) each insist on their own opinions and confront each other tit for tat. Fire captain Li Jiefeng (played by Bai Yu) and his teammates were ordered to rush to the unknown front line. As everyone knows, there is another hidden story behind the natural disaster...

"Burning the City" uses electronic waste pollution as its focus. Jiang Zhiqiang said that this was inspired by a news report about "toxic foreign waste transfer". Reports say that some developed countries transfer toxic electronic waste to Hong Kong, China, and the harmful substances contained in these wastes will cause serious harm to the environment and residents' lives.

After reading the report, Jiang Zhiqiang discussed with the team that they could develop a disaster movie that has never been shot in Hong Kong. “Hong Kong’s commercial movies basically all have the same routine, such as action, gunfights, kung fu, etc. We have the opportunity to create a different movie. type of disaster-themed Hong Kong movie. In addition, I hope the audience will pay more attention to things around them after seeing this movie."

The director and screenwriter of "Burning City" has previously served as the director of "New Police Story" and "Baby Project". The director of photography for many films including "The True Colors of a Man ", and also won the Best Cinematography Award at the 32nd Hong Kong Film Awards for " Listener ". Years of photography work have accumulated a certain amount of shooting experience for him, and he is able to control large-scale commercial films.

In Pan Yaoming's view, "Burning City" involves many global issues, "For example, we use so many electronic items, how do we dispose of them after use? The environmental protection and waste recycling involved in the film are just a background, the more important thing is What effect will it have if these things turn into a disaster? This is what I want to explore. "

"The Burning City" has a grand scene, and there are many fire scenes. Jiang Zhiqiang bluntly said that the theme of the movie "Burning City" determines that it is a large-scale film. "It needs to be both tense and exciting, with a fresh and moving perspective, and the characters must also have a sense of empathy." , it must be a 100% commercial film to be worthy of the audience. I hope the audience will tell me after watching the movie, you did not lie to me, the disaster movie you said was not exaggerated at all."

persuaded Bai Yu to play the role of a firefighter.

The cast of "Burning City" is a highlight, starring Andy Lau, Bai Yu, and Karen Mok. "Burning City" is the second collaboration between Andy Lau and Karen Mok after 19 years. The two contributed a lot of explosive rivalry scenes, which Mok called "enjoyable".

Jiang Zhiqiang revealed that Andy Lau was the first actor selected. "At that time, I felt that the role of environmental expert was the most suitable for Andy Lau. He has played many heroic roles, but environmental expert roles are rarely played." Andy Lau read the script. Later, she also liked it very much and agreed to serve as the producer of the film. Karen Mok has a strong aura, "There are not many actresses who can suppress Mr. Liu. Together, Karen Mok and Andy Lau will definitely have a good show.""

The firefighter played by young actor Bai Yu has to bear a lot of psychological and emotional dramas. Jiang Zhiqiang said that when he first asked Bai Yu to play, he was a little worried, "I said Bai Yu, don't think about it anymore, let's take a gamble together. Bundle. Bai Yu is a top actor. We made great efforts to find him to play this role, and he gave us a big surprise. "

director Pan Yaoming said that he had watched Bai Yu's TV series before, "He is a person who talks very little, and I also talk very little. When we are together, we often have nothing to say, but everyone seems to use a common concept to perform, The attitudes are quite similar. Pan Yaoming revealed that Bai Yu was very involved during the filming, "He basically never smiled on the set. He went to the scene with the emotions of the character every day." It wasn't until the last scene was filmed that a smile appeared on his face. Everyone really wants to do their best, which is amazing. "

If you lose the bet, start all over again

Jiang Zhiqiang is the producer of Ang Lee's " Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon " and Zhang Yimou's " Heroes ". He has also produced " House of Flying Daggers " and " Full City". In recent years, he has invested in dark horse films such as "I Still Think You're the Best" and "The Vengeful Lawyer", which have been introduced to mainstream Western theaters, building a bridge for Chinese films to overseas markets. He is very low-key, dressed plainly, and often appears alone at events with a backpack on his back. People who are familiar with Jiang Zhiqiang will respectfully call him "Boss Jiang." He lives a frugal life and never flies first class, but he loves innovative people. Movies and newcomers are fully assisted. For example, the director of "Monster Hunt " Xu Chengyi and "The Vengeful Lawyer" Wu Weilun have been supported by Jiang Zhiqiang. In Jiang Zhiqiang's view, there are many talented young directors in Hong Kong who may not have the opportunity. When making blockbusters, you have to trust them and give them a chance.

Jiang Zhiqiang

Director Pan Yaoming said bluntly that Jiang Zhiqiang has very high requirements for movies, "He often says one thing today and changes it to another idea tomorrow, but this thing is good. Yes, I don’t blame him, because what he thinks of every day is worthy of my reference. He often makes requests like this, for example, whether it is possible to do better in some places. "

In Jiang Zhiqiang's view, this time filming "Burning City" was a gamble. "The gambling here is not necessarily about money. When I filmed "I Still Think You're the Best" and "Vicious Lawyer", I gambled again and again. The problem with small bets. "What if you lose the bet? Jiang Zhiqiang laughed loudly after hearing this question. "If you lose the bet, it's easy, just start over. "

Previously, Jiang Zhiqiang's films such as "Ocean Paradise", "Flash Girl" and "The Favorite" were not satisfactory at the box office. He bluntly said that "Flash Girl" was the most failed movie among his projects. "Box Office ( 64 million) was very low, which was a major failure for me. But after the failure, I am still here today. "Flash Girl" later became popular on different platforms, which gave me great encouragement. "

Faced with the topic of the loss of movie theater audiences, Jiang Zhiqiang said that everyone's time is precious, don't lie to the audience, let every audience who walks into the theater to watch a movie see a surprise instead of wasting their time," Don't think too much, do our job well, work hard and bring out the best, I believe the audience will come back. "

Jiang Zhiqiang's idol is the famous Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda. Hirokazu Kore-eda believes that "a good movie will make a slight change in your life after watching it, making it unforgettable for a long time." Jiang Zhiqiang said that he hopes his movies will be as close to Kore-eda as possible. Yuwa's standards. "Although "Burning City" is a commercial film, it has many issues. I hope the audience will think of different things after watching the film.”

Red Star News reporter Zhang Shihao editor Su Jing