Fan played role in ‘Sky Hunter’ for free
BEIJING: Actress Fan Bingbing played her role in the action movie Sky Hunter for free to help her boyfriend Li Chen, who had directed it, to keep costs low.
This was disclosed by producer Lyu Jianmin, chairman of Chunqiu Time Culture Co. Ltd.
Confirming this, Li said at a press conference to promote the movie: “I didn’t have money to hire any other actress, so I asked Bingbing to help for free, because most of the film’s budget should be spent on production and special effects.”
In the movie, Fan plays the role of a military helicopter pilot.
But Fan said she had been deceived.
Explained Fan: “I thought my role might only involve two scenes and I was just making a cameo appearance; actually I was recruited as the leading role.”
Still, she was excited to join the cast and was thrilled to experience real Chinese fighter jets.
Next month, Sky Hunter will be entering into a direct duel with current action blockbuster Wolf Warriors 2.
With Li and Fan at the press conference were co-stars Wang
I thought my role might only involve two scenes and I was just making a cameo appearance; actually I was recruited as the leading role. Fan Bingbing, actress
Qianyuan and Li Jiahang.
For Li, it was an exhausting project because it was the first modern air force action movie in Chinese film history. From the preparation, early creative works to post-production, the 200 million-yuan budget film got full support from the Chinese air force, including sending dozens of its own experts, equipment and trainers to assist the film crew.
The military authorities opened several of its bases to the film crew to shoot a number of scenes.
They even agreed to fly the most advanced Chinese fighter jets, including the J-20, the stealth twinjet fifth-generation fighter; the Y-20, Chinese large military transport aircraft; the J-10C, the lightweight multi-role fighter; and the J-11B, singleseat twin-engine jet fighter. Previously such aircraft were only displayed at military parades.
Senior Colonel Chen Hao, general producer and deputy director of the air force publicity bureau, complimented Li Chen on the way he had transformed himself from an actor to a director, as well as from the son of a military officer to a quasi-air force officer, and even a quasimilitary expert.
Screenwriter and military film producer, air force Lieutenant Colonel Zhang Li, said the film grew out of the air force’s front line combat readiness training and showed the recent years of developing new weapons, as well as the achievements of the 400,000 air force soldiers and officers.
“This film certainly represents a milestone,” he said.
The film tells the story of how the elite Chinese air force destroys a terrorist plot and resolves a hostage crisis.
The movie shall begin screening in China on Sept 30.