Operation Red Sea director Dante Lam made a surprise appearance at the end of Emperor Motion Pictures (EMP)’s media launch at Filmart today (Mar 19) to give a plug for two 2019 projects.
Standing on stage with his regular producer Candy Leung and the company’s group chairman Albert Yeung, Lam said his next project will be set on the sea again. It will be a mega-budget production co-produced by EMP and China’s state-run China Central Television (CCTV).
After having made a pair of military action films primarily for the mainland Chinese market – Operation Mekong and Operation Red Sea, which is China’s second biggest film ever – Lam further revealed that his second new project is likely to be set in his hometown Hong Kong and star his Unbeatable actor Nicky Cheung despite the latter’s busy schedule.
Emperor slate
Lam’s projects aside, EMP unveiled a slate of seven new titles at Filmart, by veteran directors Alan Mak, Herman Yau, Benny Chan and Wai Kar Fai and rising filmmakers Tsang Tsui Shan and Benny Lau.
Anti-corruption crime thriller Integrity will be the first part of a trilogy directed and written by Mak and produced by Felix Chong. The cast includes Sean Lau, Nick Cheung and Karena Lam.
Another big-budget production is Benny Chan’s action thriller Crossfire, which sees Donnie Yen play a former police inspector who travels to South America to rescue his kidnapped wife.
As a sequel to 77 Heartbreaks, romantic comedy 77 Heartburns reteams director Yau and writer Erica Li. Charlene Choi, Pakho Chau and Michelle Wai return to head the cast.
Choi is also in Wai Kar Fai’s thriller Cold Detective, which co-stars Sean Lau and Raymond Lam; Calvin Poon’s suspense thriller Fatal Visit, based on the acclaimed play by Candace Chong, with Sammi Cheng and Tong Dawei; and Hong Kong Film Awards best new director Tsang Tsui Shan’s The Lady Improper, with award-winning Taiwanese actor Wu Kang Ren.
Rounding out the slate is Wong Ka Yan director Benny Lau’s second film When Sun Meets Moon, a romantic drama starring rising actors Kathy Yuen and Daichi Harashima.
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