| GENERAL
DATA |
|
|
| other
titles |
|
The Monkey
King (working title)
The Monkey King with 72 Magic (early American working title)
Journey to the West
Il Re Scimmia
Podroz na zachod
Opicí král
Rok draka
El rey mono
Monkey King.Ein Krieger zwischen den Welten
Der König der Affen |
| catch
phrases |
|
•
Reluctant hero, beautiful goddess, three days to save the world
• Journey to a world where kingdoms fall and heroes rise |
| release
category |
|
made-for-tv
mini-series |
| genre |
|
fantasy/action/adventure |
| length |
|
240 minutes |
| release
dates |
|
•
USA - March 11, 2001
• United Kingdom - May 6, 2001
• Austria - September 23, 2001
• Germany - September 23, 2001 |
| |
|
|
| PRODUCTION |
|
|
| country
of production |
|
USA |
| production |
|
Hallmark
Entertainment Network/NBC
in cooperation with Babelsberg International Film Produktion and
RTL Television
produced by Steven Harding
Production Design: Martin Hitchcock |
| executive
producer |
|
Robert
Halmi |
| screenplay |
|
David
Henry Hwang |
| music |
|
MUSIC:
John Altman
Prague production sound mixer: Michal Holubec |
| photography |
|
David
Connell, A.C.S. |
| distribution |
|
commercially
available [ more... ] |
| filming
location |
|
Malaysia,
Singapore and the Czech Republic (Prague, Barrandov Studios) |
| |
|
|
| DIRECTOR |
|
Peter
MacDonald |
| |
|
|
| CAST |
|
Thomas
Gibson (Nick Orton,
originally: chang chun)
Burt Kwouk (professor Sheng)
Bai Ling (Kwan Ying, also kway ying, kuan yin, goddess
of mercy)
Russell Wong (Monkey King)
Rik Young (Confucius)
Eddie Marsan (Pigsy)
Henry O (Wu)
Simon Bernstein (Umbrella King)
Terence Beesley (Prince of Confusion) |
| |
|
|
| SUMMARY |
|
Based
on an immensely popular story from Chinese history, transferred
to modern times. An American journalist's research trip to China
takes a mythical turn when he gets involved with a beautiful goddess,
a humanoid ape and other creatures who all need his help to find
the ancient manuscript to Hsi Yu Chi (The Journey to the West) by
Wu Ch'eng En. The destiny of the world is now in Nick Orton's capable
American hands... |
| |
|
|
| KABIR
BEDI DETAILS |
|
|
| Kabir's
part |
|
Friar
Sand, a warrior monk |
| |
|
|
| Kabir's
showstopper |
|
Together
with the Monkey King and Pigsy, he helps hero Nick Orton on his
mystical journey. All of the characters are going through a learning
process about life, but Friar Sand has an especially tricky problem:
he doesn't know how to laugh!
Given Kabir's sense
of humour, Friar Sand is probably a difficult part for our star,
who was 54 at the time of shooting. As one of the hero's sidekicks
he gets some interesting appearances in the movie, but for us fans
they are too few and far between. Although he acts his part as well
as ever, his talents go largely unused in this film. |
| |
|
|
| tv
broadcasts |
|
want to
see Kabir in it? check
TV listings of Kabir's work - current/archives |
| not
to be confused with |
|
Gary Trousdale's
2001 Walt Disney film Atlantis.The Lost Empire, even though a book
and a quest are important in that movie, too. And of course there
are many other movies based on the Monkey King theme! |
| |
|
|
 |
HIT!
yum! |
|
|
Bai
Ling's tender and radiant goddess has a hard time with people,
but also with the quality of the movie. Lots of spectacular
special effects. Pigsy's mask is a great success. A few amusing
scenes and one-liners. And of course, there's Kabir! |
| |
|
|
 |
MISS!
eek! |
|
|
Bland
and over-Americanised version of the justly celebrated original
material. Poor Confucius suffers considerable damage from the
new, free interpretation of his character. Incoherent storyline
and a somewhat soulless movie. Thomas Gibson's Nick Orton lacks
charisma and comes across as a college student saving the world.
Which audience is the film trying to address? Is it a fairytale
for adults or an action movie for children? It contains romance,
action, history and humour but none are convincing, leaving the
(adult) viewer disappointed.
But Kabir's presence adds some
spice to the mixture! |
| |
|
|
 |
| IN
SHORT... |
|
|
It's okay
for a children's birthday party. |
| |
|
|
| discussion |
|
discuss
this movie with others |
| |
|
|
| KABIR
BEDI PICTURES |
|
|
| Kabir
stills |
|
movie
picture galleries |
| reviews
w/ Kabir pix |
|
-
|
| other
links w/ Kabir pix |
|
- |
| |
|
|
| LINKS |
|
|
| official
website |
|
- |
| video
trailers |
|
•
http://www.worldonline.cz/ente/download/monkey.mov
• 2
trailers at imdb.com |
| reviews |
|
•
Janet
Branagan's review at Apollo-Guide |
| other
related links |
|
•
The
Monkey King - an ancient Chinese folk tale
• story
of the Monkey King - with Chinese drawings
• Hallmark
Channel Network
• Thomas
Gibson info at ABC network |
| |
|
|
| INFORMATION -
QUICK BITS |
• Cult anime series
Dragon Ball and many other fantasy games are based on the
legend of the Monkey King.
• The same stunt team which impressed cinema audiences in The Matrix performs
in The Monkey King.
• Daily Variety reports that the Monkey King scenes in the jungle of Malaysia
were shot on the same site as Anna and the King - Bai Ling, who stars in The
Monkey King, played Tuptim in the other movie.
• Hair stylist Loulia Sheppard was nominated for a 2001 Emmy award for
her work in part II of The Monkey King, category 'Outstanding Hairstyling for
a Miniseries, Movie or a Special'.
• The Lost Empire was also made for Hallmark Pay TV (cable and satellite),
category "Hallmark Hall of Fame movie". It is shown worldwide on the
Hallmark TV channel, in geographically sorted sections, like all other Hallmark
series/films.
• Hallmark Entertainment Network and NBC did also cooperate when filming
the projects Gulliver's Journeys and the TV series Merlin.
• British firm Cinesite, London, is responsible for the special effects
which are used widely in the adventure film - their earlier works include Animal
Farm and Mission:Impossible. |
|
| INFORMATION -
GENERAL INFORMATION |
• The script is based
on the work of David Henry Hwang, who also wrote M Butterfly.
• The centuries-old story was given a modern interpretation, and includes
American businesspeople and goddesses in miniskirts...
• The movie was especially inspired by Monkey King: Journey to the West,
a classical text by Chinese author Wu Cheng'en (1500-1582). Wu lived during the
Ming dynasty (1368-1644 AD -- precious chinaware and vases, ring a bell?) and
completed his story in 1553.
• Wu's story in turn is based on a true event during the Tang dynasty in
628 AD: Emperor Tang Tai Zhong (627-650 AD) sent the Buddhist monk Xuanzang to
India to bring back some precious Buddhist writings. After a 17-year journey,
Xuanzang returned and translated the texts he found into Chinese.
• "Monkey King" is "Sun Wukong" in Chinese, Hanuman
in Hindi (the white monkey king of the Ramayanas), and Opicí Král
in Czech. Being a mythical figure, the Monkey King was of course no ordinary
monkey. Created from rock, he knew all the magic tricks that were to be known,
as well as 72 really spectacular stunts and the Kung Fu martial art. If need
be he could ride on the clouds and turn himself into one of 9000 avatars.
Xuanzang's faithful companion often gets him out of hairy situations, and so
becomes the true hero of this monk's tale, the stuff of legend for endless generations
of children in China and elsewhere in Asia.
• The Lost Empire is about a story as old as the world...
The hero, who just happens to be American, has to save the world from disaster.
In a mythical country - China - inhabited by monsters is a sacred book which
speaks of the destruction of the whole world. But it also says how this unfortunate
turn of events can be avoided.
In order to find the all-important book, a few adventurous characters get together;
plucky American businessman/journalist Nick Orton, gorgeous goddess Kway Ying,
the powerful Monkey King und a diehard monk-warrior played by Kabir.
On their journey though life and its perils they have many mysterious encounters
and face many trials and tribulations, hopefully finding their inner selves in
the process, and just maybe a little romance...
• Some of the monsters and other creatures in The Lost Empire: Big Demon,
Spectacles Demon, Nine Inch Nail Demon, Pointy Head Demon, Confucius, Jade Emperor,
Shu, Wu and - last but not least - Pigsy. |
|
| INFORMATION -
PEOPLE |
• Director Peter
MacDonald is known for Rambo III, Batman, Mo'Money,
Gorky Park and the Indiana Jones series.
• Executive Producer is US miniseries mogul and
Emmy-Award winner Robert Halmi, who amongst
others made his mark with Merlin, Alice in Wunderland and recently
Arabian Nights, a very successful miniseries on Hallmark and
Free-TV, based on Sheherazade's tales of 1001 nights.
• Thomas Gibson plays the lead as Nick Orton. Gibson also
appeared in Nightmare Street, another Hallmark production. He is known most of
all from the US cult sitcom Dharma & Greg and from the summer 2000 movie
The Flintstones:Viva Rock Vegas, the sequel to the Flintstone saga.
• Chinese star Bai Ling is
known from Angel, Red Corner (with Richard Gere), and Anna and the King.
Now 30, she came to the US at 21 to study at the country's renowned drama schools.
She has already appeared in seven Chinese productions. At a press conference
during the shooting of The Lost Empire in Singapore, Bai Ling told
The New Paper she would be playing modern, sexily dressed goddess and promised
her belly button would be on view. Bai Ling
means "white ghost", as in "pure, childlike", perhaps also "naïve".
• Burt Kwouk, a veteran British actor, was Caliph Beder
in Arabian Nights (see above).
• Russell Wong appeared in Romeo Must Die, played a lead
role in the series Vanishing Son, and in the Joy Luck Club. He also appeared
in the adventure movie with Pierce Brosnan, Tai Pan (1986). |
|
| INFORMATION -
PRODUCTION DIARY |
»Early February
2000 - According to the US press, Thomas Gibson
and Bai Ling, two stars of the young Hollywood generation,
will play lead roles in the TV mini-series.
»February 2000 - According to Variety, Gibson will receive about
1.5 million US dollars for the Monkey King leading part.
»February 21, 2000 - Variety reports that
Russell Wong is in talks to assume the title role of The Monkey
King.
»March 2000 - Actual filming is scheduled to begin, first in Asia
(Malaysia and Singapore), then from the middle of May the set will move to Europe
(Prague) for completion. Filming on location in the Asian countries will take
about a fortnight each.
»April 5, 2000 - NBC TV announces that filming has started on
location in Singapore.
»April 26, 2000 - The set has moved to Malaysia to shoot scenes.
»May 12, 2000 - The production moves to Prague, where initially
eight weeks of filming, until mid of June, are scheduled. Many stars, including Kabir,
work in the sound stage production which starts now at the Barrandov studios
in Prague. Filming takes slightly longer than planned.
The Barrandov studios are well known in the film business, and are among the
biggest in Europe. Movies have been produced here to a high standard for 70 years.
Many major stars worked on the giant stages. Recent successes include Dungeons & Dragons:The
Movie and the TV mini-series Dune.
The Lost Empire was filmed in Prague on 10 big filmsets, five of the biggest soundstages of
the town were used.
The archives of the Barrandov studios hold about 240,000 costumes and 9,000 hairpieces.
Even Sandokan's horse would have found something to wear among the tremendous
choice of 2.500 saddles and headgear.
Hotel Mövenpick, on the left bank of the river, opposite the Mozart museum,
is where the stars usually stay during filming.
»June 1, 2000 - According to the US press,
the movie will also be broadcast by the ABC TV network.
»June 29-30, 2000 Kabir gives
an exclusive interview in Prague to promote The Lost Empire.
The Czechs, too, love the best Sandokan - ever. He tells Zuzana
Krestanová of TVD, a Czech TV news agency, of his life
after Sandokan and of his admiration for Czech director Milos
Forman, a twice-over Oscar winner known for works as One Flew
Over the Cookoo's Nest and Amadeus. Kabir speaks
highly of Prague, Czech food and Czech culture in general.
Shortly later, another exclusive interview with Kabir appears
in a Czech cinema magazine.
»October 2000 - The movie is now coming out of post-production.
»End of January/February 2001 - A new
release date is set as the previous deadline (autumn/winter 2000)
could not be met.
»Early March 2001 - Hallmark
Network TV starts to broadcast The Monkey King in many countries,
one of the first being New Zealand, - shortly after the beginning
of the Chinese Lunar New Year (late January 2001),
when the release had been planned originally.
»April 2001 - The Lost Empire will be
shown as two-part miniseries in 2001 in Germany, France and other
European countries where RTL TV holds the broadcast rights. The
movie has now been broadcast in the UK, Belgium etc. by Hallmark
TV.
Many thanks to Tomás in Prague and
Cristina in Bucharest for helping with translation and the verification
of the rumoured part of Kabir in
The Lost Empire. |
|
|
