Well I’m not so sure about this move. Let’s think about any successful Asian Director that’s moved to Hollywood from Asia. When they move to Hollywood they just do not command the freedom that they do in Asian Cinema, it’s just a fact. In Asia the movie maker is far freer than in Hollywood, they don’t have the Studios breathing down their backs, old stolid execs thinking they know what we like saying “It’s my money, do this, they’ll love it.”. It just doesn’t work.
Most recently we’ve seen the talent of Hideo Nakata come across and not do so well with his The Ring Two movie. By Hollywood standards it’s okay, but by his previous Asian standards it’s not great at all.
So now, with news from Coming Soon, the great talent that is Andrew Lau (Wai Keung Lau) that brought us the amazing Infernal Affairs is selling out to Hollywood, for a script written by the writers of Anaconda, Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid and Komodo! From Coming Soon:
Richard Gere has signed on to star in The Flock, a $35 million thriller that will mark the English-language debut of Hong Kong director Andrew Lau (Infernal Affairs).
The Hollywood Reporter says the film follows a hypervigilant federal agent (Gere) who, while training his young female replacement, must track down a missing girl who he is convinced is connected to a paroled sex offender he is investigating.
Well at least Gere is in it, that’s something isn’t it? Anyone else fear for this man’s career in Hollywood?
as with all films, ‘infernal affairs’ is a commercial product, but one thats interpreted differently because we’re so removed from all the surrounding guff which comes with any such product. its part of the charm, and how we managed to consider the movie in a more isolated fashion. i wouldnt say asian directors necessarily always command freedom, but they certainly are given freedom – its one of the major aspects of the japanese film industry i really admire, and think is particularly positive in a country where its more important to employ the people within the industry and create culture than it is to “make movies and make tonnes of cash”. they need to have the freedom to stop everything grinding to a halt, and theyre looking for freedom as a result. andy lau is an individual in the end, but no saying wether he manages to do what john woo / hideo nakata cocked-up, but i for one would prefer each country to concentrate on making its own movies, for its own people, for its own identity, than to do the american thing and simply try to make stuff that applies to everyone. but please, include more english subtitles on dvds / future formats, so i can watch them if i managed to find out about them…