Cover Story: Jay Chou

Lifestyle JAN 08 16 festyle JA 08 6 T he swordsmen turned sportsmen formula seems to be working pretty okay in films these days. Take the 2001 Hong Kong film Shaolin Soccer. A bit of tackling here; a lot of kungfu (and CGI) there, and goaaaaal. It scores. The latest is Kungfu Dunk (opens Feb 7) with players that include the dude-cool Jay Chou and Taiwanese drama idols Chen Bo-Lin and Baron Chen. And to add more haa-yak! to the cast, well-known names like Eric Tsang, Jacky Wu All the high-jinks action of kungfu movies might seem a bit far-fetched. You know the ying over walls and skimming tree-tops, but leaping around a basketball court? Sure can. Enter Jay Chou as a ghting t slam dunker. DUNK THAT BEEN THERE, by Leong Wai Kit Cover Story Lifestyle JAN 08 16 Lifestyle JAN 08 17 Cover Story and even Ng Mang Tat (better known as the default sidekick of Stephen Chow) are roped in. But it wasn’t easy assembling this team. Bouncing roles The female lead was initially offered to Korean singer BoA, who, through her album releases in Taiwan, has earned herself many Taiwanese fans. But the project came at a time when the demure diva’s hands were full. So BoA had to pass the ball over to… hey, Eun- hye, catch! Bad pass. Singer-model-actress Yoon Eun-hye, too couldn’t play the lead. At that time, the actress (of the recent K-drama Goong fame) was reportedly embroiled in a conflict with her management. So, pass! The ball ended in Charlene Choi’s court, who finally scored the lead role (phew). The sweetie-cutie Twins singer plays the eye candy love interest of Jay Chou. Among those who didn’t score roles was – heaven forbid – NBA player Yao Ming. Though offered a cameo part in Kungfu Dunk, the over-towering sportsman had to turn it down, due to an injury near the time of filming. In a nutshell Jay Chou plays an orphan (Shi Jie) who grew up in a kungfu school, and is a natural with martial arts and basketball. With such unusual talents, he’s naturally discovered and offered a place at a university basketball team by Coach Wang Li – played by Eric Tsang (convincing even when short and stout). And for the dash of romance to the plot, Shi Jie falls in love with the basketball team leader’s sister, who is none other than the lovable Charlene Choi. In the meantime, the team faces an unscrupulous competitor in a major competition. Along with several other kungfu experts turned basketballers in the team, Shi Jie prepares for some kick-ass action in the final showdown. And with martial arts stunts and CGI effects, Kungfu Dunk looks set to take kungfu-in-sports action movies to new heights.

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Transcript of Cover Story: Jay Chou

LifestyleJAN0 8

16 festyle

JA 0 8

The swordsmen turned sportsmen formula seems to be working pretty okay in

fi lms these days. Take the 2001 Hong Kong fi lm

Shaolin Soccer. A bit of tackling here; a lot of kungfu (and CGI) there, and goaaaaal. It scores.

The latest is Kungfu Dunk (opens Feb 7) with players that include the dude-cool Jay Chou and Taiwanese drama idols Chen Bo-Lin and Baron Chen. And to add more haa-yak! to the cast, well-known names like Eric Tsang, Jacky Wu

All the high-jinks action of kungfu movies might seem a bit far-fetched. You know the ! ying over walls and skimming tree-tops, but leaping around a basketball court? Sure can. Enter Jay Chou as a " ghting " t slam dunker.

DUNK THATBEEN THERE,

by Leong Wai Kit

Cover Story

LifestyleJAN0 8

coverstory Jan.indd 16 12/19/07 10:43:08 AM

LifestyleJAN08

Cover Story

and even Ng Mang Tat (better known as the default sidekick of Stephen Chow) are roped in.

But it wasn’t easy assembling this team.

Bouncing roles The female lead was initially

offered to Korean singer BoA, who, through her album releases in Taiwan, has earned herself many Taiwanese fans. But the project came at a time when the demure diva’s hands were full. So BoA had to pass the ball over to… hey, Eun-hye, catch!

Bad pass. Singer-model-actress Yoon Eun-hye, too couldn’t play the lead. At that time, the actress (of the recent K-drama Goong fame) was reportedly embroiled in a

confl ict with her management. So, pass!

The ball ended in Charlene Choi’s court, who fi nally scored the lead role (phew). The sweetie-cutie Twins singer plays the eye candy love interest of Jay Chou.

Among those who didn’t score roles was – heaven forbid – NBA player Yao Ming. Though offered a cameo part in Kungfu Dunk, the over-towering sportsman had to turn it down, due to an injury near the time of fi lming.

In a nutshellJay Chou plays an orphan

(Shi Jie) who grew up in a kungfu school, and is a natural with martial arts and basketball. With such unusual talents, he’s naturally

discovered and offered a place at a university basketball team by Coach Wang Li – played by Eric Tsang (convincing even when short and stout).

And for the dash of romance to the plot, Shi Jie falls in love with the basketball team leader’s sister, who is none other than the lovable Charlene Choi. In the meantime, the team faces an unscrupulous competitor in a major competition. Along with several other kungfu experts turned basketballers in the team, Shi Jie prepares for some kick-ass action in the fi nal showdown.

And with martial arts stunts and CGI effects, Kungfu Dunk looks set to take kungfu-in-sports action movies to new heights.

coverstory Jan.indd 17 12/19/07 10:43:35 AM