Discovering the Forbidden Kingdom
For the first-time in martial arts movie history, the duo of Jackie Chan and Jet Li can be seen on screen together in the forthcoming film The Forbidden Kingdom.
The film, which is set to be released on April 18, 2008, was written by screenwriter John Fusco (Young Guns, Hidalgo) and directed by Rob Minkoff (Stuart Little, Lion King).
Fusco recently, took time to explain his inspiration for the script, the pairing of Jet Li and Jackie Chan on-screen, and the development of the project.
Watch the trailer
ASIANCE: How did you come up with the idea for The Forbidden Kingdom?
John Fusco: It began as a bedtime story for my son when he was 10 years old (4 yrs ago). He got interested in martial arts and, because I am a traditional kung fu practitioner, I wanted to introduce him to the legends and lore and philosophy that inform
true kung fu. I felt that I could interest him in this deeper layer of martial art by creating a fantasy adventure for him. The bedtime fable grew into a screenplay.
ASIANCE: Was it always conceived as a vehicle for both Jackie Chan and Jet Li?
John Fusco: No. Only after I turned in a draft did the producer and I discuss casting. Because I am a martial arts cinema fan,
I dreamed big and suggested Jet and Jackie. Every fan has dreamed of those two uniting in a martial arts film. The producer,
Casey Silver, sent the script to them and they responded.
ASIANCE: How long did it take to get this project made from script to screen?
John Fusco: Four years. Over that time period Jet Li was creatively involved and very much a creative partner.
ASIANCE: Did both Jackie Chan and Jet Li immediately sign up for the film when presented with the script? What was their initial reaction?
John Fusco: Jet was very positive and wanted me to come to Hong Kong which I did. I am very grateful to him for his cultural
insights and wisdom. Jackie was interested in collaborating with Jet and I also flew to Hong Kong to see him. But the
credit for bringing the two together goes to Casey Silver who was determined to make it work.
ASIANCE: The film is obviously made for teens and children. It’s almost like a live-action fairy tale. What do you anticipate will be the
response from adult audience members, especially Asian fans off Jet Li’s and Jackie Chan’s Hong Kong films?
John Fusco: I am already getting that reaction and it is very, very good. Especially from adults in the martial arts community.
ASIANCE: Do you feel that die-hard adult fans of Jackie Chan and Jet Li films will find this film lives up to the expectations of a Jackie
Chan and Jet Li on-screen pairing?
John Fusco: Well, first they must recognize what kind of movie it is and be willing to travel down that road into a kind of
Wizard of Wuxia. If they do, they will not be disappointed. Jet and Jackie’s combat scenes are supreme.
ASIANCE: What did you learn from the experience of working with Jet Li and Jackie Chan?
John Fusco: I learned that they are still the greatest. From Jet I learned that martial art is really the art of achieving victory over
yourself, and I meditate more now when I practice. From Jackie I learned that giving is the greatest joy. I was trying to figure
out why he is so happy and full of life and I realized that his joy comes from making others happy and helping whoever he can.
They are both two remarkable and inspiring human beings.
ASIANCE: You were said to be working on a Hollywood remake of Akira Kurosawa’s classic Seven Samurai. What is the status of that project? And what has the response been from Kurosawa and his fans?
John Fusco: It is not a remake. It is a contemporary story set in the world of corporate security contractors like Blackwater. I bow
to Akira Kurosawa and would never dare attempt to remake his period epic.
ASIANCE: Any last thoughts on your experience writing The Forbidden Kingdom?
John Fusco: It has been an amazing journey. I feel honored to have my story come to life in the hands of the martial arts Dream Team
under the incredible direction of Rob Minkoff. Everyone is mentioning the Master Woo-Ping, Peter Pau, and Jet and Jackie,
but this movie is a Rob Minkoff film and I don’t think anyone else could have created the unique blend that he did.
UPDATE:
ASIANCE: Why was a white teenager the protagonist rather than an Asian teenager?
This is the answer John Fusco emailed me:
The truth is: I was that kid. My son is that kid. Quentin Tarantino was that kid. It is a very real phenomenon, and what I think it speaks to is the fact that America, like Jason, is young and awkward and still trying to find its way. China is the wise master.
That said, after my third draft I had concerns and decided to write Jason as Chinese-American, playing more on an atavistic calling. Two people rejected this approach and said it was not as realistic as the notion of the white boy who wants to know Chinese kung fu. Those two people were Jet Li and Jackie Chan. They felt that I was abandoning the heart of the story that came from my own childhood.
Thanks for the nice article — all best wishes,
John
Why didn’t you ask John Fusco why the white guy is the hero of the movie when there are two superstars like Jackie and Jet. Or is it because you are afraid to task tough questions?
The trailers showed this GREAT martials action film with 2 of the best actors in the business, and the movie posters portay them as their perspective characters, but when you see the movie, it’s a complete bait and switch. Showing this wea-boo wannabe asian brat, and portraying the whole cliched plot of a boy who becomes a man, who also has hormone issues. I came into see that, and got tricked. The movie could’ve done alot better without him, and they shouldn’t have made Jet Li and Jackie Chan the side character to back up the brat who shouldn’t even be working with the greats in the business.
Jackie stated at the press conference that he didn’t want to make this film. “It’s a Hollywood film.” John wrote the story for his son. It’s a fairy-tale ala Lord of the Rings.
A little bit of advice, negativity doesn’t get you far in showbiz. This film probably never would have been made if not for John being the writer and dreaming it up. If you think you can do better you should write your own scripts and see for yourself how difficult it is in Hollywood.
Even if Jackie and Jet thought that there should or shouldn’t be a white teen as the lead, they accepted their roles anyway.
If you want a more piercing look at Chinese in Hollywood, go see Arthur Dong’s documentary film Hollywood Chinese or the documentary Slanted Screen by Jeff Adachi. These will show you that Hollywood has always been portraying the Asians or “Orientals” in a negative or stereotypical manner.
Again, if you want to see things change make your own films or write your own scripts and get to work.
Too bad this was the project that Chan and Li finally decided to team up on – it could’ve been so much better.
It just boggle my mind why they put this white kid as the main character in the movie when they have Jackie Chan and Jet Li…
This is yet another example of trailers giving a false impression of how a film is really going to play out.
Ed – the problem hollywood will change the characters to white when there is a script about asian or asian american.
I’m not trying to defend the movie, but it did score at the box office so the marketing obviously worked. Whether right or wrong, audiences turned out for the film. I see your rationale for saying it could’ve been better. But the fact is the idea for the film came from a non-Asian writer. He even wrote a draft of the script with a Chinese-American kid, but in the end the stars and filmmakers all stuck with his original story. Again, if you want more Asian stories, you have to write them. And if you want more Asian faces, you have to develop the actors capable of playing those roles and drawing an audience to pay for the film. Remember Asians and Asian Americans are a minority. We are probably less than 10 percent of the overall population of America. There are probably more Latinos in California alone. And so you see more prominent Latino characters in movies and TV. Blaming Hollywood is not the answer. Doing the best you can to be the best you can be is all you can do. Someday, maybe there will be quality Asian American writers and producers and actors that breakthrough. We’ll start to see more Asian American male lead characters. It took African Americans nearly 40 years to get to where they are now. If you look back in film history, you had Sidney Poitier and then Blaxploitation in the 70s and then the Eddie Murphy’s and Denzel’s in the 80’s, 90’s and now they are everywhere in mainstream. But it took time and a motivation to want to be seen and heard. Asians still have a stereotypical reputation of being quiet and docile. Hollywood is all about bluster, hype, glitzy, gloss, trends. It is after all “Tinseltown”. Lights. Camera. Action. Anyway, that’s my spiel. Again, you want to change things, start writing and get involved… go to ABC/Disney at http://abctalentdevelopment.com/programs_production.htm
or http://www.fox.com/diversity and submit for their diversity programs. Get involved!
I agree with you. I respond in a more humorous matter but you are 100% correct. You have these Asian men, Tony Koo, Chris Chang, that ugly girl Jenn who started a blog who push anyone who is trying to have a voice or an opinion down.. Too bad they are too ignorant to realize they are doing more harm than good (we’re not impressed with your wannabe intellligence) or their attempts are going NOWHERE.. It’s an indication of their own hang up but I don’t think they realize their bitching and moaning is just that…bitching and moaning.. No one cares.. If you want to change…then get involved..do something constructive..pushing your own people down is going to take another 40 years before we see anything..Look at the African American community as an example.
My family and I love the Forbidden Kingdom just the way it is made and written. It was great seeing both Jet Li and Jacking Chan in this feature film together at last! As for the “Causian” boy, we love the actor. We thought that he was cast well for his character of an awkward boy who was trying to figure things out for himself. In this regards, the message is very universal…that one must face one’s own fear and have the courage to stand up for things that you believe in and my family and I believe in this movie and we are hoping that a Sequel will come about as well.
For those complainers, you are over thinking…just let go and enjoy the movie. And if you don’t believe or like it, then don’t go see it and complain about it.
My family and I love the Forbidden Kingdom just the way it is made and written. It was great seeing both Jet Li and Jackie Chan in this feature film together at last! As for the “Causian” boy, we love the actor. We thought that he was cast well for his character of an awkward boy who was trying to figure things out for himself. In this regards, the message is very universal…that one must face one’s own fear and have the courage to stand up for things that you believe in and my family and I believe in this movie and we are hoping that a Sequel will come about as well.
For those complainers, you are over thinking…just let go and enjoy the movie. And if you don’t believe or like it, then don’t go see it and complain about it.
We’ve heard it all before and everything seems to be an excuse nowadays. The best solution is to picture what your end result will be and work backwards to your current situation. Instead, Asian Americans are taking action on what *may* remedy the situation.
African Americans are different and can’t be compared to Asian Americans because one of the main differences is that Asian Americans are much more socially apathetic. We’re complacent. For instance, we control the largest spending capital of any racial group in the United States so when we can’t affect change quickly, it’s very telling. This goes for the complainers as well as the individuals defending the trash being pumped out by Hollywood. IE: Everyone in this thread.
The fact of the matter is that “Writing your own movies and getting them produced” and saying that “what is currently being cranked out by racist Hollywood must be stopped” are two *totally* different topics not to be comingled.
Sun Fan, Jenn has done more than you can possible fathem. She’s very well known in the Asian American online community for being outspoken for both Asian women *and* men which is a lot more than your constant trashing of Asian men. So, pull your head out of your ass. Jenn takes action, you just talk (and in a way that harms Asian men in an extreme way.)
I would like to point out that Ed’s strategy of putting up with roles like this just serves to get Asians more derogatory roles rather than quality roles.
Hey sun fan – you are truly retarded. The reason why this article got so much attention was because the author perpetuate negative stereotypes of Asian American men, not because of her dating a white guy…Retard!!!!
I for one don’t care who asian women date or marry, jsut as long as the asian women don’t belittle asian men to justify her decision to date or marry non-asian.
You seem to hate asian men in general. Just own up to it. It’s pretty obvious from your 1st post.
Also, you mentioned you have an asian bf? is that true? i highly doubt it. if you do, why wouldn’t you stand up and defend the negative stereotypes or bashing of asian men? Instead, you’re the one that do the bashing…
Jenn’s a loser who spends her time bitching and complaining..and trying to censor Asians.. I had no idea who she was til she started that whole business with that dating article. whhooooa “Jenn takes action” What a tool you are. I only trash Asian Men who think Asian Women should be theirs and theirs alone. You know, the ones who bitch when an Asian Woman makes a “choice” and decides to date outside her race..Men who still want to keep Asian Women down without the freedom of choice..Men like you..Has nothing to do with being Asian..But you continue to point that out..You and Jenn deserve each other..