The latest remake of the martial arts classic "Death Duel" is finally put in the can after 10 months of filming and more than 15 years of preparation while waiting for the right timing to hit the modern big screen.
Directing the new adaptation is none other than Hong Kong actor-director Derek Yee, who starred as lead character "Third Master Chi" in the 1977 version of the wuxia film penned into a novel by Gu Long.
Yee, who also wrote the screenplay this time, brought into the new "Death Duel" all the artistic skills and martial arts knowledge he had learned while acting out the lead role when he was just 19.
Another "old" hand who helped craft the new "Death Duel" is Tsui Hark, who came on board as Executive Producer of the film.
Both Lee and Hark liken themselves to astute masters of martial arts who know the benefits of good timing, which led to the 15-year planning and preparation before the film saw execution this year.
"Tsui Hark and I have wanted to film Death Duel as early as 1998; we wanted to wait until no one knew how to make an innovative wuxia film, until viewers were fed up with buying tickets for wuxia films. It isn't our style to blindly follow the crowd - it's too dull to do something that isn't challenging," Yee said.
Hark generously contributed his knowledge of 3D effects, costume design, art direction and other filming techniques to the making of the new "Death Duel."
Mainland Chinese actor Lin Gengxin, who was tapped to play the role of Third Master Chi, began honing his swords skills in April. Peter Ho portrays Yan Shisan, his rival.
"Death Duel" is the story of Third Master Xie Xiaofeng, considered one of the top swordsmen in the world, who mysteriously disappeared after he grew weary of bloody encounters in the martial arts world.
Based on the work of wuxia novelist Gu Long, "Death Duel" has been filmed several times but the most famous was the 1977 version, which cast Yee in the lead role.
The new adaptation took 140 days to film at the Hengdian World Studios.
