Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

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DECEMBER 24, 2019 BY CHARLES MURPHY
EXCLUSIVE: SHANG-CHI Casting For Ring Announcers; Could Support Longstanding Tournament “Leak”

Shang-Chi is preparing to begin filming after the new year and is currently casting a plethora of small, supporting roles. One such role, for a ringside fight announcer, might just support one a plot “leak” that appeared on Reddit just a short while ago. You can read a transcription of the now deleted leak below:

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An alien spaceship landed in China hundreds of years ago. The ship was powered by the Ten Rings, magical relics that all serve a different purpose. The rings were looted by a secret society known as the Avatars, which is led by a wise martial artist simply called the Ancestor. The Ancestor wore the rings and used them to become an expert fighter.

The Mandarin grew up hearing about the ancestor’s story and was fascinated by it, despite everyone else believing it was just a myth. He began to idolize the Ancestor, and devoted his life to finding the rings. This inspired him to form his own mafia, which is the Ten Rings gang. Basically, the point of the gang is look for the rings all around the world. He adopted his niece, Fah Lo Suee (Awkwafina) and taught her martial arts.

After years of investigation, he discovers that the legend of the ten rings are real, and that the Ancestor is dying. There was a leak a little while back that Shang-Chi is a tournament film, and that’s actually true. When the Ancestor dies, the Avatars will run a secret tournament/kung-fu trial in which the winner will be granted the rings. The Mandarin is too old to compete, and he doesn’t want to risk Fah Lo Suee’s life. That’s where Shang-Chi is going to come in.

Shang is a street urchin who meets the Mandarin after he starts dating Fah. The Mandarin takes a liking in Shang and starts training him as his apprentice. His first task, as an act of gang initiation, is to kill Trevor for impersonating the Mandarin. People speculated that they would be related, but it will be more of a Walter White/Jesse Pinkman dynamic.

When the tournament begins, the Mandarin will send Shang to win and get the rings for him. That’ll be the basic gist of the film pretty much. I know that defeating Fin Fang Foom will be an obstacle. Leiko Wu and Clive Reston will be in the movie as SHIELD agents who are investigating the Ten Rings gang. Shang-Chi will obviously betray the Mandarin and become a hero over the course of the film. He will get the ability to create multiple duplicates of himself. It will be an ‘Orphan Black’ situation, where each clone of himself has their own personality. So the fights will obviously be insane to witness.

Marvel is casting Shang’s enemies in the tournament, and one of them will be a character named Chao.

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While I certainly can’t speak to the authenticity of every one of the plot points included in that “leak”, the fact that the film is currently searching for ringside fight announcers, combined with the prior knowledge that they were casting for several of Shang-Chi’s comic book kung-fu opponents could very well lend a bit of credibility to this leak and we may see an MCU version of the 90’s classic martial arts film, Bloodsport. As shocking as having Fin Fang Foom and the ability to create duplicates might seem, there is enough other evidence out there to support a dragon living in certain locations and it’s possible that one of the rings could grant Shang-Chi the power to create dupes.

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So is Awkwafina in training now?

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'Shang-Chi' director hints a big change to the film's villain, the Mandarin
"Family" isn't just for Fast & Furious. Director Destin Daniel Cretton hints that his Marvel film will explore the concept of family in a big way.

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By Eric Francisco on January 2, 2020
Filed Under Iron Man, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Movies, Marvel Universe, Movies & Superheroes

In 2021, the Marvel Cinematic Universe will meet its next big superhero in Shang-Chi, a kung fu secret agent in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. While Marvel previously announced that the Iron Man 3 nemesis the Mandarin (but this time, the real one) will play a big role in the film, director Destin Daniel Cretton dropped a subtle hint that the Mandarin is, in fact, Shang-Chi’s father.

In a December 24 episode of the podcast They Call Us Bruce, hosted by Jeff Yang and Phil Yu, Destin Daniel Cretton appeared to promote his newest film Just Mercy. At the end of the episode, the hosts took a detour to the MCU, providing a small glimpse into 2021’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Noting that Shang-Chi is “a very different type of movie than Just Mercy,” Cretton revealed both movies share similar themes and ideas on family.

“In the same vein, the emotional aspect and the ideas of camaraderie, family, and connection is something that will definitely be a part of this movie,” he said.

That “F” word — “family” — doesn’t just belong to Fast & Furious. While the plot for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is still under wraps, Cretton’s quotes suggest that Legend of the Ten Rings will follow Shang-Chi as he challenges his blood family, as well as cooperate with an adopted new one.

In Marvel’s Master of Kung Fu comics, which Shang-Chi starred in for over a hundred issues in the 1970s, Shang-Chi embarks on a journey to defeat his father, Fu Manchu, the same pulp villain invented by English author Sax Rohmer in 1913. Unable to work alone, Shang-Chi teams up with an array of British agents, including Sir Denis Nayland Smith (the protagonist of Rohmer’s novels); Clive Reston, a spy modeled after James Bond; Leiko Wu, a Chinese-British agent Shang-Chi falls for; and “Black Jack” Tarr, Smith’s aide-de-camp.

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In 'Marvel Special Edition' #15, Shang-Chi's first solo comic, Shang-Chi confronts his father, the villainous Fu Manchu from Sax Rohmer's pulp novels. In the 2021 film 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,' his father may be changed to the Mandarin, played by Tony Leung.

While Shang-Chi learns to work with strangers, it’s Shang-Chi’s family whom he fights. Besides his father, Shang-Chi’s sister Fah Lo Suee clashes with Shang-Chi, while other times Fah Lo Suee tries (and fails) to use Shang-Chi as a pawn in her own attempts to overthrow her father.

Shang-Chi also has two brothers; One is an adoptive brother, M’Nai, a refugee from Africa whom Fu Manchu raised to become the assassin called “Midnight.” The brothers clashed in an early issue of Shang-Chi’s comics (Marvel Special Premiere #16). The second is Moving Shadow, who was raised in secret from Shang-Chi and lives to fulfill his evil father’s wishes. Moving Shadow first appeared in the 2002 Marvel MAX series, Shang-Chi: Master of Kung Fu.

At the time of Shang-Chi’s creation in 1973, Marvel had a working agreement with Rohmer’s estate to incorporate characters from Rohmer’s stories into the Marvel Universe. When that agreement expired years later, Marvel kept Shang-Chi but downplayed Fu Manchu to avoid copyright infringement.

Aside from the legal issue, there was also a matter of changing cultural attitudes as Fu Manchu was (and is) a dated “Orientalist” stereotype of Asians in popular media. It was these attitudes that inspired Marvel to subvert its own Orientalist villain, the Mandarin, in the 2013 film Iron Man 3.

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Cover of 'Marvel Special Edition #16,' where Shang-Chi fights his adoptive brother, Midnight.

With Marvel obviously unwilling to incorporate Fu Manchu, Kevin Feige et al appear to be rewriting Shang-Chi’s canon. While Marvel has yet to explicitly say so, it appears Marvel is turning the Mandarin (played by Hong Kong acting legend Tony Leung) into Shang-Chi’s birth father in place of Fu Manchu. And because of Iron Man 3, there is already the groundwork for fans to accept a less offensive, modern interpretation of “yellow peril” villainy.

In a separate feature interview with BuzzFeed, Cretton revealed he took a meeting with Marvel with only the intent on enlightening the studio on how to avoid offensive portrayals inherit to the source material.

“I didn’t think I was going to end up getting the gig,” he said. “I honestly thought at best I could maybe, through the process of meeting with them, just explain some of the things that would be offensive to me, and maybe guide it in some way just by getting my voice in someone’s ear.”

It was during that meeting that Marvel decided Cretton was their choice for Shang-Chi.

On They Call Us Bruce, Cretton revealed his excitement for Shang-Chi, fueled by lament on the lack of Asian faces in superhero pop culture.

“It’s really exciting to just be a part of another movie that’s going to put some new faces up on the screen,” he said. “I didn’t even know why I loved Spider-Man until I was old enough to realize I couldn’t see his face, and I could imagine myself underneath that mask. There weren’t any Asian faces to identify with in the superhero word. So to be able to give a new generation an option is really cool.”

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Simu Liu, revealed as Shang-Chi at Comic-Con.

Shang-Chi will star Chinese-Canadian actor Simu Liu in the title role, alongside Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians) and Tony Leung as the Mandarin. In an October 23 visit to the New York Film Academy (uploaded to YouTube on December 28), Marvel’s Kevin Feige said Shang-Chi will have a “98 percent” Asian cast.

“We’ve wanted to make that movie for a long time. We want to make a movie with a 98% Asian cast,” he said. “Shang-Chi is gonna be so much more than a kung fu movie. But it has elements of that, which we’re excited about.”

Meanwhile, Just Mercy is a superhero story for the real world. In theaters now, the film stars Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Brie Larson, and Tim Blake Nelson, in the true story of Walter McMillian (Foxx), an African-American man sentenced to death for the 1986 murder of Ronda Morrison, a white woman, in Alabama. McMillian was convicted despite dozens of eyewitnesses confirming McMillian at a church fish fry during the murder.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will release in theaters on February 12, 2021.

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Anyone heard who's directing fight choreo yet?

As I've said before, I don't really know Simu Liu, but this has endeared him to me. :cool:

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Marvel Star Simu Liu Asks Out Sharon Stone After She Posts About Dating App
By JAMIE JIRAK - January 4, 2020 02:59 pm EST

Earlier this week, actor Sharon Stone went viral for having a mishap on the dating app, Bumble. The star known for films such as Basic Instinct and Casino was blocked from the app after fellow users reported her as a fake account. Stone took to Twitter to try to resolve the issue and it became a trending topic on Twitter. Another star, Simu Liu, the actor who will soon be playing the titular role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, decided to shoot his shot and try to score a date with Stone. Here’s the initial interaction between Stone and Bumble:

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Sharon Stone
✔
@sharonstone
· Dec 29, 2019
I went on the @bumble dating sight and they closed my account. 👁👁
Some users reported that it couldn’t possibly be me!
Hey @bumble, is being me exclusionary ? 🤷🏼*♀️
Don’t shut me out of the hive 🐝

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Bumble
✔
@bumble
There can only be one 👑 Stone. Looks like our users thought you were too good to be true. We’ve made sure that you won’t be blocked again. We hope that everyone in our community takes a sec to verify their profiles. (Catherine Tramell from Basic Instinct gets a pass today!)

3,011
4:23 AM - Dec 30, 2019
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223 people are talking about this

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Here’s where Liu decided to join in on the conversation:

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Sharon Stone
✔
@sharonstone
· Dec 29, 2019
I went on the @bumble dating sight and they closed my account. 👁👁
Some users reported that it couldn’t possibly be me!
Hey @bumble, is being me exclusionary ? 🤷🏼*♀️
Don’t shut me out of the hive 🐝

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Simu Liu
✔
@SimuLiu
Hey, I don’t have bumble but uh... what are you doing like six months from now?

1,856
6:19 AM - Dec 30, 2019
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89 people are talking about this

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Stone didn't reply to the actor's request, but maybe she'll change her mind after she sees him kicking butt on the big screen as a Marvel hero.

In the comics, Shang-Chi is raised to become a deadly assassin, and his life gets turned upside down when he discovers nefarious details about his father. Shang-Chi then sets out to right his father's wrongs, becoming Marvel's "Master of Kung Fu" and serves as a member of Heroes for Hire and the Avengers.

The film will be helmed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Short Term 12, The Glass Castle) on a script by Wonder Woman 1984's David Callaham. Awkwafina and Tony Chiu-Wai Leung have also been confirmed for the film, with the latter playing The Mandarin.

Upcoming Marvel Studios projects include Black Widow on May 1, 2020, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in Fall 2020, The Eternals on November 6, 2020, WandaVision in 2020, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on February 12, 2021, Loki in Spring 2021, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on May 7, 2021, Spider-Man 3 on July 16, 2021, What If…? in Summer 2021, Hawkeye in Fall 2021, Thor: Love and Thunder on November 5, 2021, and Black Panther 2 on May 6, 2022. Marvel Studios Disney+ series without release dates include Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and She-Hulk.

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From 'Just Mercy' to 'Shang-Chi': Why Shifted Gears for Marvel's Superhero Film

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George Pimentel/Getty Images
10:30 AM PST 1/5/2020 by Rebecca Ford

"I would love to give my son a superhero to look up to," says the director of helming Marvel's first Asian-led superhero film, which he leaped to following his social justice drama starring Michael B. Jordan as a lawyer who helps exonerate innocent prisoners.
When director Destin Daniel Cretton's latest project, the real-life social justice drama Just Mercy, finally hit theaters Dec. 25, he already was deep into his next project — a leap in a very different direction, helming Marvel's first Asian-led superhero film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. But the busy helmer took some time to talk to THR about working on Just Mercy, which stars Michael B. Jordan as Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer who has dedicated his career to helping exonerate innocent prisoners, many of whom were on death row.

How did you end up on this project?

Our producer Gil Netter sent the book to me. I was so moved by it. I was just so surprised with how much life was given into these characters. They just were so relatable to me. So I signed on with that, and the only person we could think of to be perfect for this was Michael B. [Jordan]. I was on the phone with Ryan Coogler talking about something else, and I was telling him about this book and how I thought this character would be perfect for Michael, and he just said, "Hold on," and called Michael B., who I believe was in Vegas. So just out of the blue I was pitching to Michael B.

How closely were you working with Bryan on the film?

He was involved from the very beginning. Before we even started writing, [co-writer] Andrew Lanham and I took a trip down to Montgomery and Bryan gave us a tour of The Legacy Museum and [The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, which explores America's history of racial injustice from the slave trade]. He took me to Monroeville, Alabama, where all this took place, and walked me out into a cotton field. I'd never been in one before. He showed me how to pick cotton, showed me how t***** cotton bushes are. It was a very powerful experience.

What did you see as the biggest challenge of making this movie?

Everything. (Laughs.) I don't look up to many people more than I look up to Bryan Stevenson. And I wanted to show people who he really was, and that was a very intimidating thing to take on. That is why I stayed so close to him throughout the process. I'm so grateful that he is such a gracious person to collaborate with. He was great at guiding us and making sure that we were doing the legal stuff right, that we were capturing the characters in the right way. But he was also very understanding of our own process, and he was very gracious on that level. I've never grown so much on a movie, and I've never been so relieved when Bryan Stevenson watched it and gave me a big hug afterward.

Did he say anything to you or was it just the hug?

He said, "You captured my heart." And the heart of these people that he really cares about.

What do you see as the throughline with the films you've made?

There are two throughlines: One is a theme of family, whether a literal family or a family created through circumstance. Family is very important to me. And I personally have been really moved by movies that allow me to feel less alone in the world and allow me to see characters in a way that makes me say, "Oh, they're just like me." That, to me, is where society can actually change. Movies can allow us to get so close that we can see [others] as just like us. That's what I hope this movie can do for other people.

You seem to have a lot of empathy as a filmmaker.

I try. I spend so much time on a movie — especially if I'm writing and directing it — so I typically ask myself, "is this a world that I'm willing to swim three years through? And does it have the potential to make me a better person?" Because to me, of course I'm always trying to make the best movie I can, but the outcome of it isn't the grand prize, if it is I'm constantly going to be disappointed in some way or another. But if the experience itself can teach me something new about the world or show me something about myself that I didn't know and make me a better person, that's what I'm striving for. So any story that has the ability to do that is something that I feel good about signing on to.

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In Just Mercy, Michael B. Jordan (left) stars with Jamie Foxx, who plays a man on death row.
Jake Netter/Warner Bros.

Shang-Chi feels like a big step in a different direction. Why that next?

I grew up without a superhero to look up to. I gravitated to Spider-Man when I was a kid, primarily because he had a mask covering his face and I could imagine myself under that mask. I would love to give my son a superhero to look up to. I feel very privileged to be a part of telling that story.

Being from Hawaii and of Asian descent, did you ever feel like an outsider in this industry?

It was a huge culture shock going from Hawaii to the [U.S.] mainland. I moved to San Diego when I was 19 to go to school, and I was not prepared for the culture shock. You don't feel "other" in Hawaii. I didn't understand why I felt weird when I came here because I didn't know I had an accent. I didn't understand why it felt weird for someone to call me Bruce Lee. It was an adjustment. In Hawaii, things are laid-back. In L.A., there was too much fear-based competition and ways that you were supposed to be to make it in this industry that were complete opposites to my personality.

Such as?

I was a terrible networker. I would go to a party and stand in the corner … really awkward. My growing-up experience was just owning the fact that I am uncomfortable — owning my shyness. Owning just my personality and saying, "**** it, I'm going to be myself, and if they're not going to like that, then we're not supposed to work together." That's a daily thing I have to tell myself. As soon as I started doing that, I became much more happy doing this work. It didn't scare me anymore. I don't think anybody should be scared to do what they love. That was a big lesson for me to learn.

What do you think about the way Hollywood has been opening up with more inclusive stories and more opportunities for filmmakers from different backgrounds? Does it make you optimistic?

I'm always optimistic that it will go in the right direction. I think we're in a transition now. Even when we were trying to crew up for Just Mercy, there's a realization that there are not enough minorities just in the positions that you would want them to be to hire minorities. So on Just Mercy we were giving so many people their first opportunities to be the heads of a departments, which is so exciting. On this movie with Marvel, just in terms of casting — how many famous Asian actors are there? It's really exciting to be able to make some new famous faces for other films to choose from. It would be a failure if Shang-Chi was, like, the first and last. That would suck. But I hope it's the first of many more movies that represent the world that we live in.

Interview edited for length and clarity.

A version of this story first appeared in a January stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.

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I really need to familiarize myself with the work of Destin Daniel Cretton and Simu Liu. I got a year...:rolleyes:

Given the hot mess that was Iron Fist, I'll be satisfied if the MCU can deliver just a good Kung Fu movie. :rolleyes:

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Kevin Feige Says ‘Shang-Chi’ Is So Much More Than A Kung-Fu Movie – Will Awards Season & Wildfires Lead To A Delay?
By Christopher Marc -January 8, 20200

Back in October, Marvel Studios head and Marvel chief creative officer Kevin Feige sat down for Q&A session with the New York Film Academy.

While talking about the origin of the shawarma button scene in the original Avengers film, revealed that Shang-Chi hasn’t started filming and that filming begins in a few months (from October).

FEIGE: “I went to my then assistant Jonathan Schwartz, who is now in Australia producing Shang-Chi & The Legend of The Ten Rings that goes into production in a few months.”

Kevin also recognizes that Shang-Chi is going to be seen as a kung-fu action film, but is much more than that.

FEIGE: “Shang-Chi is going to be so much more than a kung-fu movie, but it has elements of that which we’re excited about.”

I think there will be a James Bond/spy element to the character as he did have involvement with MI6 and the private outfit Freelance Restorations (expected to have characters from that group in the film).

However, there is a good chance that Shang-Chi might not begin shooting this month and may hold off a start until after the awards season/Oscars is over. Considering that Destin Daniel Cretton’s film Just Mercy is an awards contender and Shang-Chi lead actress Awkwafina is also likely in the running for a Best Actress nomination for The Farewell (recently won a Golden Globe).

There is also a heap of wildfires ongoing in New South Wales, Australia where Fox Studios Australia is located, the main sound stage facility that will be used on Shang-Chi and the fourth Thor installment (aiming for August start) from director Taika Waititi.

Marvel might want to give the authorities and local crew a little breathing room due to those events.

I wouldn’t be shocked if it doesn’t begin filming until February/March as the Oscars will take place on February 9th.

HN Entertainment exclusively first revealed that the working title of Shang-Chi during production will be Steamboat, a direct nod to Asian-American professional wrestler Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat.

Speaking of director Destin Daniel Cretton, he recently spoke with TheHollywoodReporter and revealed what interested him in the Marvel project, giving his son a superhero to look up to.

CRETTON: “I grew up without a superhero to look up to. I gravitated to Spider-Man when I was a kid, primarily because he had a mask covering his face and I could imagine myself under that mask. I would love to give my son a superhero to look up to. I feel very privileged to be a part of telling that story.”

Shang-Chi & The Legend of The Ten Rings is set for an official release date of February 12th, 2021.

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It's really impressive how she is parlaying her talents into a successful career.

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Shang-Chi Star Awkwafina Arrives in Ahead of Marvel Filming
By NICOLE DRUM - January 23, 2020 12:15 am EST

As one of the most-anticipated of Marvel Studios' upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe films, there has been a lot of speculation about precisely when Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will commence filming. Earlier this month, Kevin Feige confirmed that the film would head into production soon with work taking place in Australia and now it appears that "soon" could be sooner than we think. A post from star Awkwafina on Tuesday revealed that the actress is in Sydney, Australia, potentially to begin work on Shang-Chi.

On Tuesday, Awkwafina posted brief clip on her Instagram Story in which she opened up curtains in what appeared to be a hotel room to take in the view of the Sydney Harbour. She captioned the short clip "Good morning Sydney!"

While the post doesn't directly indicate that she's there to work on Shang-Chi, as was noted previously, Feige has indicated that Australia is a location where production on the film will take place.

"I went to my then assistant Jonathan Schwartz, who is now in Australia producing Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings that goes into production in a few months," Feige said during a talk with the New York Film Academy. "Shang-Chi is going to be so much more than a kung-fu movie, but it has elements of that which we're excited about."

Feige's not the only one who has talked about the potential of Shang-Chi, either. Simu Liu, who recently joked about the rumors of when the film would start filming himself, told the South China Morning Post that the film could "change the world."

“To take a quote from Stan Lee, the legend himself, ‘With great power there must also come great responsibility’,” he said. “But I think the reason I have the platform I do is because I’ve leaned into my Asianness. If you are going to ask an entire population to support you, to rally behind you and give you a platform, I won’t shy away from that responsi*bility. I feel like we’ve been shying away from it as people for too long, especially the children of immigrants who are taught to keep their heads down. We have reached the limit of that philosophy.”

Upcoming Marvel Studios projects include Black Widow on May 1, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier in the fall, The Eternals on November 6, WandaVision later this year, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings on February 12, 2021, Loki in Spring 2021, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on May 7, 2021, Spider-Man 3 on July 16, 2021, What If…? in Summer 2021, Hawkeye in Fall 2021, Thor: Love and Thunder on November 5, 2021, and Black Panther 2 on May 6, 2022. Marvel Studios Disney+ series without release dates include Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, and She-Hulk.

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‘Asian-American actors are ugly & your films make us look backward’: Hollywood sets movies in China, locals don’t want to watch
Michael McCaffrey
Michael McCaffrey lives in Los Angeles where he works as an acting coach, screenwriter and consultant. He is also a freelance film and cultural critic whose work can be read at RT, Counterpunch and at his website mpmacting.com.
21 Jan, 2020 14:04 / Updated 3 days ago

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The Farewell (2019) Dir: Lulu Wang © А24 studio

Hollywood thinks that by telling Chinese stories they will woo its massive market they so crave…they couldn’t be more wrong, as the failure of the Farewell amply illustrates.
The critically adored American film, which tells the story of a Chinese-American woman who returns to her ancestral homeland to visit her dying grandmother, opened in China at the weekend.

As The Farewell was written and directed by a Chinese American woman, Lulu Wang, and stars Chinese-American, Golden Globe winning actress Awkwafina, while the film’s dialogue is mostly spoken in Mandarin, Hollywood’s expectations were that the movie would be well received in China.

That did not work out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RofpAjqwMa8

The Farewell has been largely ignored by Chinese audiences as evidenced by its embarrassingly dismal take at the Chinese box office of just $580,000, and scathing audience reviews from viewers who largely thought that the story was dull, patronizing, and had nothing to say to them.

The film’s failure is reminiscent of the poor showing in China by another Asian themed Hollywood movie, Crazy Rich Asians, which was a breakout smash hit in America in 2018, bringing in $174 million at the US box office. American audiences cheered Crazy Rich Asians largely due to its Asian cast, which was deemed a great success for representation and diversity for Hollywood. In contrast, China, which has plenty of its own movies with all-Asian casts, had no such love for the film as proven by its tepid box office receipts.

Crossing the cultural divide and tapping into the Chinese market has long been the Holy Grail of Hollywood, as every studio executive in town is constantly trying to crack the Chinese code in order to fill their coffers.

Of course, studio executives are not always the most ambitious creative thinkers, so the only plan they’ve been able to come up with thus far is to pander. Not surprisingly, Hollywood’s ham-handed attempts to cater to Chinese audiences have consistently backfired.

Disney thought Asian representation would attract Chinese audiences when they cast Asian-American actress Kelly Marie Tran in a major role in the most recent Star Wars trilogy. The problem was that Ms. Tran (who is of Vietnamese descent anyway, which is like appealing to the English by casting an Italian) did not conform to classical Chinese standards of beauty and thus Chinese audiences never warmed to her.

Chinese audiences have voiced similar complaints regarding Awkwafina, with some Chinese people on social media going so far as to call her “very ugly,” which may be one of the reasons why The Farewell is doing so poorly. And this is before we get to her Mandarin, which was widely considered laughable for a first-generation immigrant, even a one who left China early, according to the plot (the actress herself did not speak Chinese fluently before the film).

Another example of this cultural divide is Simu Liu, a Canadian-Chinese actor who was recently cast in the lead of the upcoming Marvel movie Shang-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Liu is considered handsome by Western standards but some Chinese people say he is “not handsome by Chinese standards” – at least when compared to many of the local action stars – which means Shang-chi might face an uphill battle at the Chinese box office when it comes out.

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Simu Liu of Marvel Studios' 'Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' © Getty Images for Disney / Alberto E. Rodriguez

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Hollywood has had significant success in China, the world’s second largest film market by revenue.

For instance, of the top 15 highest grossing films in Chinese box office history, four are Hollywood productions. They are Avengers: Endgame, The Fate of the Furious, Furious 7 and Avengers: Infinity War.

It seems Hollywood has not learned the lesson of their Chinese successes though because unlike Crazy Rich Asians, The Farewell and even to a certain extent the poorly received latest Star Wars trilogy, the Hollywood films that have found success in China are gigantic franchises telling American stories filled to the brim with spectacle and movie stars…and none of those stars are Chinese.

In 2020 Disney is once again making a major attempt to court the Chinese market by releasing Mulan, a live action adaptation of the 1998 animated film of the same name. While Mulan is based on the Chinese folk story ‘The Ballad of Mulan’ and will boast a very attractive cast of Asian actors, including star Liu Yifei, that is no guarantee of box office success. The 1998 animated Mulan financially flopped in China – though this was before its current cinema-building boom – and one wonders if the live action version is just another culturally tone deaf attempt by Hollywood to try to tell and sell a Chinese story back to the Chinese.

Hollywood’s belief that Chinese audiences want to see Hollywood make Chinese themed-movies with Chinese stars seems to be staggeringly obtuse and based on its own identity politics than how people around the world actually consume entertainment.

China has a thriving film industry all of its own and Chinese audiences don’t clamor to see Chinese stories told from Hollywood’s perspective (even if they’re made by Chinese-American artists) any more than Americans yearn to see American stories told by foreign artists, however, flattering it might be that someone is interested enough in your culture (and pockets) to do that.

Chinese audiences want to see American movies from America and can get over the fact that none of their countrymen look like Chris Hemsworth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEUXfv87Wpk

At its best, the art form of cinema is a universal language that speaks eloquently across cultural boundaries. For example, American audiences this year have embraced the South Korean film Parasite.

Parasite didn’t try to tell an American story with American actors in an attempt to cash in with US audiences; instead it tells a dramatic and artistically profound Korean story about family and class that connects to people of all cultures and looks fresh to foreign audiences.

Hollywood would be wise to emulate that approach, particularly since it already knows how to dominate the global box office.

And if it does want to make what it thinks are “Asian” stories, it should be culturally humble enough to know that it’s making them primarily for the art house cinemas in Brooklyn, rather than the multiplexes in Beijing.

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THREADS
The Farewell
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Mulan
Parasite

I guess that Simu Liu doesn't look "sissy boy" enough for PRC tastes, LOL.

Interesting. I have no idea who these characters are. I'm sure Design Sifu can edumacate me. Or maybe one of you...

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https://i1.wp.com/www.murphysmultive...g?w=1592&ssl=1

POSTED ON JANUARY 31, 2020 BY CHARLES MURPHY
EXCLUSIVE: ‘SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS’ Confirmed to Introduce MI-6 Characters Leiko Wu, Clive Reston and Black Jack Tarr

Production on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is set to get underway shortly in Australia and some casting information has begun to leak including some very exciting, if not expected, news: the film will introduce MI-6 agents Leiko Wu, Clive Reston and Black Jack Tarr.

https://i2.wp.com/www.murphysmultive...68%2C253&ssl=1

MI-6 or Military Intelligence, Section 6 is the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service and has played a major role in the Master of Kung Fu comics on which Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is based. After coming to understand the true nature of his father, international terrorist and crime lord Fu Manchu, Shang-Chi worked alongside and then with MI-6, most frequently teaming up with agents Clive Reston, Black Jack Tarr and Leiko Wu, with whom he also had a romantic relationship.

https://i1.wp.com/www.murphysmultive...pg?w=700&ssl=1

The film will apparently introduce the idea that Shang-Chi worked for MI-6 at one time, but has since made his “departure from the world.” Reston (whose now confirmed presence in the film was first rumored by HNE) is described as Shang-Chi’s old partner and friend who is now married to Leiko Wu, an elite MI-6 operative who once had “strong feelings” for the Master of Kung Fu. Fellow MI-6 agentBlack Jack Tarr, always up for a fight in the comics, is described as an “elite martial artist who enjoys the thrill of the battle.”

The studio was searching for a Caucasian male, 45-50 for Reston; a Chinese female, 26-39 for Wu; a Caucasian male 30-49 for Tarr. It is believed that these roles have been filled at this time though I was unable to get responses from representatives of several actors.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will hit theaters February 12, 2021.

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Simu has a pretty good handle on social media. That'll serve him well.

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Marvel's Shang-Chi Star Praises Birds of Prey but Blames Suicide Squad for Creating a Nightmare for Him
By MEGAN PETERS - February 11, 2020 03:22 pm EST

Simu Liu has had a busy six months. Last summer, the world learned the actor was cast to bring Shang-Chi to life at San Diego Comic-Con, and he has been riding a high ever since. However, that doesn't mean Liu has to forget about superheroes outside of Marvel. In fact, it turns out the star has a thing for Birds of Prey, but he isn't so generous towards Suicide Squad.

Recently, Liu took to Twitter to share his thoughts on Birds of Prey. The DC Film went live over the weekend, and it earned rave reviews from fans. And as you maybe guessed, Liu is a big fan of the movie.

"Watch Birds of Prey - it's a great film w/ strong comedy, great action and incredible performances - PLUS features kick-ass female heroes," the actor shared.

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Simu Liu
✔
@SimuLiu
Watch #BirdsOfPrey - it's a great film w/ strong comedy, great action and incredible performances - PLUS features kick-ass female heroes!!

Also unlike Suicide Squad they DIDN'T block off my condo entrance to film for a week, making my commute a living nightmare... #StillSalty

8,648
1:39 AM - Feb 11, 2020
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1,346 people are talking about this

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Before logging off, Liu did have to make mention of another DC film. A few years back, Warner Bros. was all about Suicide Squad, but it turns out the film had a personal hardship on Liu despite him not being involved with the much-debated movie.

"Also unlike Suicide Squad they DIDN'T block off my condo entrance to film for a week, making my commute a living nightmare...," the actor wrote before adding a salty hashtag.

Clearly, there are still some hard feelings between Liu and Suicide Squad. While the film was a financial success, it was greeted with criticism from fans. These days, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is giving his spin on the franchise with a film. He is currently working on The Suicide Squad which has been described as a reboot sequel to the original film, so here's to hoping Liu has better luck with this film than the first!

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THREADS
Shang -Chi
Suicide Squad 2
Birds of Prey

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Originally Posted by GeneChing

Interesting. I have no idea who these characters are. I'm sure Design Sifu can edumacate me. Or maybe one of you...

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I remember these characters from the comic. IIRC, Leiko Wu even became Shang Chi’s GF(?). Black Jack Tarr started out against Shang Chi, and is the big mustachioed guy on the comic book cover art that Shang Chi is simultaneously punching and flying side kicking that you posted a few posts back. I vaguely remember. Clive Reston, but I haven’t read the comic since the ‘70s.

I don’t see this as succeeding in the Chinese market at all. Hollywood would do well to make films starring Asians and featuring Asian (or Asian-American) characters without trying to pander to China. I do believe that Marvel needs to nix the Fu Manchu and Nayland Smith characters.

...Actually, the very name ‘Shang Chi’ is nonsensical. The definition of his name that Marvel gave on the front pages of the comic back in the ‘70s was “the rising and advancing of a spirit.” In reality, it translates roughly to “above chi” or “upper chi.” Meaningless.

Oh so original... :rolleyes:

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Shang-Chi Plot Details Rumored to Include Massive Martial Arts Tournament
By ADAM BARNHARDT - March 7, 2020 12:38 am EST

As with any Marvel movie this day in age, the secrecy surrounding the productions suffocates most advanced leaks or spoilers before they surface. Most times, leaks are nothing but fan fiction; but some times, there might be one that proves accurate, such as the ones found on the mysterious Roger Wardell Twitter profile. For the past few months, another such leak was been circulating about Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and a massive underground Fight Club-style tournament the movie is purportedly set to host.

Ace scooper Charles Murphy has unearthed another casting call that could potentially prove that leak has some substance. According to the scooper, the production is actively casting a character named Kane, who films and live streams a fight involving the movie's main characters on a bus. As Murphy suggests, perhaps this fight is on the way to a super-secret underground tournament — or maybe it's on the way to school and this movie will just be Shang-Chi's Day Off. Maybe it lends a little credence to the leak, maybe not.

No matter what happens, Shang-Chi co-creator Jim Starlin previously told us he hopes the movie serves as a solid origin for the Master of Kung-Fu.

"I can’t imagine them starting off with anything but an origin story because you got to begin somewhere," Starlin told Comicbook.com at Comic-Con. "I think it will be loosely based on what we did over the first few issues…I only did three issues of the book. I imagine there will be some eliminations like Fu Manchu, thank God."

"With Shang-Chi, I'm really curious because the trick is with that is to get a hook on it that will take it away from the millions of other kung fu movies that have been produced beforehand," the legendary comic writer added. "You know, we don't want just another Bruce Lee movie, we want something different, something really entertaining. I'd be curious and can't wait to see what kind of hook that they get to take him in that direction a little bit different than where he's been before."

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings hits theaters February 12, 2021.

Other upcoming Marvel Studios projects include Black Widow on May 1, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier this fall, The Eternals on November 6, WandaVision in spring 2021, Loki in spring 2021, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness on May 7, 2021, What If? In summer 2021, Hawkeye in fall 2021, Thor: Love and Thunder on November 5, 2021, and Black Panther 2 in May 2022.

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Set photos and leaked video from the Australian set of Shang-Chi reveal a sequence involving a helicopter in the Marvel Studios film.

https://www.reddit.com/r/marvelstudi...ing_set_video/

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