Keanu Reeves took the global box office by storm in the late nineties with the ground breaking Matrix trilogy- and he’s hoping to cause a similar sensation with his next innovative project. Never one to play it safe with his roles, Reeves has a checkered CV, oscillating between wild success and critical mauling, and with his announcement at Cannes that his next film will be a multilingual Mandarin, Cantonese- and English-language kung fu movie, it’s clear that his experimental streak is still going strong.
This time round Keanu also stepped behind the camera to direct, and rather than the Hollywood razzmatazz band of wealthy backers, this film, titled Man of Tai Chi, will be heavily funded by the Chinese state. Designed to appeal to both Western and Chinese audiences, it will tell the story of a delivery man in Beijing who also happens to be a martial-arts expert. Reeves plays the role of a shadowy character who manipulates the man into entering the seedy world of underground fighting, losing his innocence along the way, and ends as “the journey of a man who must confront himself.”
Taking the titular role will be Tiger Chen, who trained Reeves for eight hours a day in martial arts for The Matrix. The pair became close friends, and the film is the result of the pair’s long-held ambition to collaborate again. Shot in Beijing and Hong Kong, the project wrapped ten days ago, and is slated for release in China in July, and then the rest of the world in early autumn.
Reeves is a much safer bet for Asian backers due to the fact that his Chinese ancestry means he already has a considerable following in the country
It is hoped that the film will be a smash both internationally and in mainland China- a not inconsiderable feat considering the difficulties Western film makers often face relating to the hugely diverse Chinese audience. Blockbuster Iron Man went as far as inserting extra scenes with local stars into the film, as well as some strategic Chinese product placement just for this huge audience. Unfortunately the move backfired, with audiences complaining that the attempts at localisation felt too contrived, and added nothing to the overall story. Reeves is a much safer bet for Asian backers due to the fact that his Chinese ancestry means he already has a considerable following in the country, and the exotic looks which caught the attention of Hollywood casting agents also translate well in the East.
