For his follow up to Journey to the West, which with its Chapter One subtitle seems to be due a sequel every bit as much as Kung Fu Hustle, Stephen Chow will be directing a new film about a mermaid. It seems the picture will be called Mermaid, in fact, though some Chinese media outlets have actually called it The Little Mermaid.
If Chow’s plan really is to adapt Hans Christian Andersen, it will be quite the do-over with a present day setting and the near-obligatory martial arts action. And, surprising absolutely no-one, the film is also going to be a comedy. Judging from Chow’s previous work, any Little Mermaid he could make would be more Tex Avery than Walt Disney.
As you can see above, the film’s official graphic – which has also been packaged as a teaser poster in lower resolution, below – doesn’t show the mermaid’s face. That’s because she’s going to be cast through a public talent search, ala Andrew Lloyd Webber at the BBC or, I suppose, the Chinese supporting cast of Transformers: Age of Extinction.
I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a known actress stepping over the unknowns and snatching the role, however; I honestly can’t see any water-tight promises that the star will be plucked from obscurity.
Production on Mermaid starts later this year and it’s expected that the film will release in the Spring of 2016, for the Chinese New Year. As with Journey to the West, Chow is planning to work with a co-director on the film and won’t be taking a lead role in the movie, if indeed he gives himself any kind of on-screen role at all.
You can trust that we’ll be keeping a close eye on proceedings with this one.
2 Responses to “Stephen Chow casting his new Mermaid movie with a public talent search”
September 29, 2014
LeslieI will love to see a mermaid movie. no one make a nice real underwater movie I love mermaids I love to swim , I love. Water please do it.
March 25, 2015
aye nyein thui want stephen chow to act some roles in mermaid.