唐季禮 | TONG Stanley
Introduction
I often went to my father’s record store when I was young. After listening to soundtracks of American movies and theme songs of Hong Kong television series, I often sought out these films. I was especially moved by the combination of music and narrative. I never thought I would become a screenwriter, action director and film director one day but by luck and chance became a stuntman. The switch from audience to performer changed my life’s dream. Because of my love for traditional Chinese culture and my background in Western education, I have a better understanding of the differences and similarities between the East and the West. Romance, action and adventure are movie genres that can bridge our cultural differences. Spreading the excellence of Chinese culture to the rest of the world has also become the guiding direction in my filmmaking.
Biography
Stanley Tong was born in Hong Kong. He studied in Canada during his teens and returned in 1979 to work in the film industry. In 1980, he worked for Shaw Brothers, Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB), Redifussion Television (RTV) and other film companies as martial arts performer, stunt double, script supervisor, assistant director, production manager, martial arts choreographer and screenwriter.
In 1988, Tong became the director and action chereographer of Angel II and Angel III. In 1990, Tong founded his own company and invested in The Stone Age Warriors, for which he wrote, produced, directed and choreographed the action sequences. Tong was known for making action films and had been Jackie Chan’s frequent collaborator. In 1991, he directed Chan, Michelle Yeoh and Maggie Cheung in Police Story III: Super Cop, which broke box office records in a number of Southeast Asian countries. It was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Action Direction at the 12th Golden Horse Film Festival.
Soon after, he directed Project S, Rumble in the Bronx and First Strike. Rumble in the Bronx raked in close to HK$ 57 million while First Strike’s ticket sales exceeded HK$ 57 million — the highest box office by a Chinese-language film from Hong Kong at the time. Rumble in the Bronx not only propelled Chan to international stardom but also earned Tong the Best Action Direction award at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
In 1996, Tong got his call from Hollywood and directed his first American movie, Mr. Magoo. In 1999, he turned his focus on the film and television industries in Mainland China. In 2000, Tong invested and directed Strike Force, for which he also wrote the screenplay and choreographed the action scenes. In 2005, he served as director and action director for The Myth, which featured an ensemble of international stars the likes of Hong Kong’s Jackie Chan and Tony Leung Ka-fai, India’s Mallika Sherawat and South Korea’s Kim Hee-sun. In 2011, Tong developed and produced a historical epic series The Patriot Yue Fei for Chinese television and
in 2014, he began making the antiterrorist-themed feature Vanguard in China.
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