A Chinese Odyssey remake in the works

[boba fett]

A Chinese Odyssey remake in the works

Sina / TOM Online
Published Oct 12 2010

The Donnie Yen-headlined The Monkey King will not be the only upcoming film on the well-loved literature called Journey to the West. Stephen Chow, who starred in Jeffrey Lau’s 1994 adaptations A Chinese Odyssey Part One: Pandora's Box and A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella, is working on a remake, reported TOM Online. In an attempt to top the classics, the funnyman comes up with this idea: the monkey king, who is capable of doing 72 transformations, is to be played by 72 actors. If Chow has his way, expect Jaden Smith, son of Will Smith, to be part of them.

Stephen Chow (left) and Athena Chu starred in A Chinese Odyssey Part Two: Cinderella.​

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Chow reportedly approached Will when the latter promoted I Am Legend in Hong Kong in 2007. They met again a year later, when Chow went to America to prepare for The Green Hornet, the superhero film from which he eventually dropped out. That was the time he offered Jaden the role in the remake, according to the report.

What’s more, Chow, 48, is thinking of tempting Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung out of her semi-retirement, by flying to Beijing to offer her the role of Xi Wangmu (Queen Mother of the West). The pair collaborated twice inAll’s Well, Ends Well (1992) and The Mad Monk (1993).

Taiwanese heartthrob Ethan Ruan, who met up with Chow in Hong Kong earlier on, will play the Monkey King, while Echoes of the Rainbow star Aarif Lee will play his sifu Xuanzang. Rising filmmaker Derek Kwok will helm the remake and shooting will commence in Feb.