A new trailer has just been released for True Legend, an upcoming film by influential director and fight choreographer Yuen Woo-ping. Yuen made his name as a director back in the '70s with movies like Drunken Master, but has recently focused more on action choreography, for films including The Matrix, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Kill Bill and Kung Fu Hustle. True Legend is his first directorial effort since 1996. As you might guess, it is a martial arts actioner.
Vincent Zhao (Once Upon a Time in China), Zhou Xun, Jay Chou (Kato from The Green Hornet), Michelle Yeoh and David Carradine all star. Watch the trailer after the jump.
With US audiences at least, Yuen Woo Ping is probably the best known and most popular of Chinese martial arts movie choreographers. His work on American pictures like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and The Matrix helped cement his cult status, though it's probably fair to say much of his best work is found in his Chinese and Hong Kong productions like Fist of Legend and Iron Monkey.
A wealthy man living during the Qing Dynasty loses his fortune and reputation as a result of a conspiracy against him. After being forced out onto the streets, Su dedicates his life to martial arts and reemerges as a patriotic hero known as the King of Beggars.
This is Yuen's third Beggar Su film after Drunken Master, one of Jackie Chan's masterpieces and a perennial favourite round at my place, and Heroes Among Heroes which saw Donnie Yen in the role.