'Shanghai' comes to Hong Kong

Launching an epic with style...  

After the successful Beijing premiere of this Weinstein Company produced period epic, we decamped for Hong Kong, where I had to put together a special preview screening. Given the time frame, this would have been impossible without the help of Nan Wong, from HK distributor's Sundream, and Sharyn Yau, of the ace PR company A Class. They both went far beyond the call of duty to make the event a success.

Even though it was the first night of the World Cup, we still managed to pull a crowd, with guests including Daniel Wu (to whom we'd offered a role in the film, many moons ago, though scheduling issues prevented him accepting).

Michael Wong arrived wearinga t-shirt so bright, we all had to wear shades.

Guests of honour were the great Chow Yun-fat and his lovely wife Jasmine. Chow is so great in the film, but also so reticent to attend public events. It was very gracious of him, and a sign of his friendship with Harvey, that he agreed to attend, and at quite short notice, too.

I invited my eldest son Ryan to the screening, and he was very impressed that daddy knows Mr Chow.

The screening went well; the film itself was very well received. It went on to do great business in China, and is now in release around the region. It comes out here in Hong Kong in August.

There was the usual press pack as Mr Chow left the building, with Ryan and I providing low key security surveillance.

The after party was held at the Scandinavian restaurant FINDS, and was a huge success. We had about a 100 people more than expected (but perhaps some of them had come to watch the World Cup on a big screen on the venue's balcony...).

There was a 'Purple Storm' reunion, with stars Daniel Wu and Kam Kwok-leung, myself, who was working at Media Asia when the film was made, and Harvey, who bought the film for North America.

Also on hand was the lovely Josie Ho, who I haven't seen in a while. She was busy making Dream Home and I was doing Blood Bond; we only have time to talk at an event like this!

Among the stars of the past and present was one of the future, model and potential martial arts star Pae Pae. She can kick waaaay over my head (though perhaps not in the dress she was wearing this particular evening...)

Given the great sales we enjoyed with 'Blood Bond', we're currently prepping a spin-off, 'Red Dawn Rising', which will focus on Phoenix Chou's character, Deva. We'll be pairing her up with parkour wiz Williams  Belle, star of Yamakazi and The Great Challenge, who was also on hand for the 'Shanghai' bash (as was Pae Pae, did I mention her...?)

Here's me sucking on a gob stopper AND posing with them at the same time...

We also had the lovely Bernice Liu, who kicks butt in King of Fighters, Bad Blood and the new Ip Man movie.

The party raged long into the night, too long, considering we were off to Shanghai itself the next day...