Donnie Yen has told a Chinese newspaper that theatrical rights for Sha Po Lang (SPL) have been purchased by Miramax. Now, Donnie has done a great deal of work with the Weinstein's in the past and apparently has a good relationship with them so it seems likely that this has actually gone to the Weinstein Company and Donnie either mis-spoke or was mis-quoted due to confusion with the recent change of power in those parts. No word yet on when it will release or how extensively, but we'll try to find out.
Right now I'm positively giddy that I'll have the chance to see this on the big screen again - ecstatic reviews from the Toronto Film Festival here, here and here - but if the US release gets altered in any way I will be a very unhappy boy.
Big thanks to Maria for the news.
I don't know whether to cheer or weep. o.O
They'll just change the music, dub it, cut a few too violent and too Chinese scenes, and they'll release it in 4 theatres in January 2007 or 2008.
Will they never understand???????
you don't understand. the reason they held onto films for a long time when they were running miramax was because, due to a weird complex bonus calculation, delaying releases resulted in much larger year-end bonuses. now that they are running their own company the incentive to delay release is not there.
And lest we not forget, they have already tentatively been discussing the Hollywood re-make as well. That being said, I continue to have very little faith in the Weinsteins. Maybe Bey Logan will somehow coerce them into not "Americanizing" their Hong Kong releases, now that he's workin' for them. Unlikely, but I can dream.
We'll dream together 5V
I'm definately weeping.