Can someone clear this up for me? I was browsing some of the headlines at ANS, and stumbled upon a case of he-said-she-said. Apparently the filming for live action Slam Dunk movie is about to begin, and yet in his March 11 news post, Takehiko Inoue writes:
I found out from a fan that he had seen an article that plans for a live action “SLAM DUNK” movie were moving forward in Taiwan or China.
I don’t know if the article was for real, but if it was, then it troubles me that something like this could proceed without me knowing anything about it.
I wonder what’s going on.
Of course I haven’t given them permission for it.
Ummmmmmmm, sounds like something Kanye West or Vanilla Ice would do! And yet, just as I was about to dismiss the whole thing as a prank, I read about news that martial arts movie star Jet Li has posted on his own blog that the production is a go.
Some of you may have heard of a new film production called “GuanLan” which started filming in Shanghai on the 9th. I went to visit the set because all the key personnel including the director, actors, producer, and cinematographer are all my good friends.
And according to info on ANS:
The live-action adaptation of one of the bestselling manga comics of all time will be helmed by Kevin Chu Yin Ping (“Expect a Miracle”). Production gets under way next week with lensing in studios in Shanghai and on location in Taiwan for winter 2008 release. With a production budget of $10 million, pic is being touted as the most expensive Taiwan-originated movie of all time. It is set up as a co-production of Taiwan’s Chang Hong Channel Group and Shanghai Film & Television Group.
This isn’t something that is completely out of the blue, as looking through some news archives reveals that last year, Jay Chou agreed to sign on (which is also referenced in Jet Li’s post).
Pop singer Jay Chou has agreed to play the lead role in a live-action “tribute” to the Slam Dunk manga. NBA star Yao Ming will also make a cameo appearance.
Wu also said he would ask Korean singer BoA to play Jay Chou’s girlfriend, and that he has been in contact with choreographer Ching Siu-Tung (The Curse of Golden Flower, House of Flying Daggers, Hero). Hong Kong’s Centro Digital (The Promise, Kung Fu Hustle, Shaolin Soccer) will handle CG effects.
So what’s the deal?! If this is for realz, I can’t wait to see it, because I love basketball, I love Slam Dunk, and I love thinly veiled copyright infringement. I’m also looking forward to seeing how cheesy this will be, because even high budget films sometimes have a tough time making sports scenes look believable. Then again, if we are going for Shaolin Soccer effects… =__=
This post was written by...
Kabitzin – who has written 1970 posts on Sea Slugs! Anime Blog.
One of the founders of Sea Slugs, I handle most of the blog admin tasks while wearing my I AM BOSS shirt. I like my action series well choreographed, and my romance series extra trashy. I also have a soft spot for puns.
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