Vicky Zhao Joins Shu Qi And Tsui Hark For JOURNEY TO THE WEST Sequel

Nowadays, actress Vicky Zhao's career prominence has seen some great influence in recent years between directing and staking a near 10% ownership claim in Alibaba Pictures with her husband. I can't really speak fully on what that means for this particular report, although bearing this in mind it seems fitting that she seizes the opportunity to return to the screen in some capacity.

On that note, it just so happens that Alibaba Pictures is producing director Tsui Hark's Journey To The West sequel following up Stephen Chow's initial installment in 2013. And, according to Jaynestars, it just so happens that the production is bringing Zhao on board for a role, essentially reuniting the actress with Chow who directed the first film following their previous work together just fourteen years ago on the kung fu sports comedy epic, Shaolin Soccer.

The film also brings Zhao together with fellow So Close star, actress Shu Qi who starred in the 2013 film which released to critical and commercial acclaim. Journey To The West 2 is slated to commense filming this August while further details on the production. 

Stay tuned for more info.

Shu Qi, Tsui Hark Set For JOURNEY TO THE WEST 2 In 2017

Director Hou Hsiao Hsien's period action thriller, The Assassin, is still in limbo as far as most of us may know following its announced completion last year, but fans of actress Shu Qi will be delighted to learn more following reports of her likely return to the set with Stephen Chow soon enough. And by this notion, it will very much be a sequel to the 2013 smash hit, Journey To The West: Conquering The Demons.

The first film, written by Derek Kwok, became a record-breaking box office success which saw actor Wen Zhang as Tang Sanzang, a Buddhist protecting a village from three demons with the help of mystical huntress, played by Qi. Jaynestars reports that the actress will be re-joined with Zhang along with Huang Bo's reprisal as The Monkey King, as so inspired by Wu Cheng'en's classic story, for which Chow and The Taking Of Tiger Mountain helmer, legendary filmmaker Tsui Hark are in talks to produce and direct, respectively. An English-language remake of the first film was announced last year, although updates are still pending.

Alibaba Pictures is bankrolling the sequel which will commence shooting this August before its planned Lunar New Year release in January of 2017. In the meantime, a 3D re-rendering of Chow's 2004 hit, Kung Fu Hustle, is getting some screentime domestically between now and next week, while Hark's newly-produced fantasy wuxia remake, director Derek Yee's Sword Master is pending a release of its own later this year.

Stay tuned for more info.

H/T: City On Fire