"IRON FISTS" SHOOT UNDERWAY IN CHINA

It's always nice to see a friend doing well... *****By Patrick Frater*

Tue, 11 January 2011, 10:34 AM (HKT)

Production News

Production is now underway in China on The Man With The Iron Fists, a period martial arts thriller being directed by RZA, the US hip hop musician-turned-actor and co-founder of The Wu-Tang Clan.

The cast includes Russell Crowe and RZA as the title character, a blacksmith who forges weapons for the inhabitants of a village in feudal China. They are forced to defend themselves. Corey Yuen ( Transporter) is directing the action sequences.

The $20 million film to be distributed by Universal Pictures also features a large Asian-American contingent including Lucy Liu, Daniel Wu, Byron Mann ( Streetfighter, The Corruptor, pictured), Osric Chau ( What Women Want) and Darren Scott (aka Darren Choo, Romeo Must Die). Crowe is expected to arrive in China at the end of the months and stay on set through February.

The Man With The Iron Fists’s screenplay is written by RZA and Eli Roth ( Hostel).

Production is by RZA, Roth and Marc Abraham through Strike Entertainment. Filming has begun at the Hengdian World Studios and will continue until the end of February with a shift of location to Shanghai.

Production services in China are provided through Champion Star, a company associated with Bill Kong (江志強). As distributor of Universal’s studio titles in Hong Kong and China, Kong has previously assisted other Universal productions in the region including The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.###