Director John Woo in town for ‘Manhunt’
KUALA LUMPUR: Hong Kong maestro John Woo is in the country to launch his latest action flick.
The movie, entitled Manhunt, boasts a multi-cultural cast from Japan, China, Korea and Hong Kong.
“I wanted to show how people of different cultures can come together and be friends despite their differences,” said the veteran film director during a press conference at a hotel here yesterday.
Woo, 71, was accompanied by the film’s star, South Korean actress Ha Ji-won, 39.
Manhunt also stars China’s Zhang Hanyu as a lawyer framed for murder, as well as Japan’s Masaharu Fukuyama as a detective tracking him down.
The two celebrities will also be meeting fans at the Pavilion KL concourse and attending a gala premiere at Sunway Velocity Mall in Cheras.
Woo’s Manhunt is said to be inspired by Ken Takakura’s Japanese classic You Must Cross the River of Wrath (1976).
The Guangzhou-born Hong Kong film director will also be conducting a symposium titled “John Woo: Man Behind The Camera” at MBO Cinemas, The Starling Mall, Damansara Uptown, starting at 11am today.
Organised by Jazzy Pictures, Woo will hold a sharing session about filmmaking and interacting with fans at the closed door event.
He is best known for his Hong Kong action thrillers such as A Better Tomorrow, The Killer and Hard-Boiled, Hollywood action movies including Face/Off and Mission: Impossible II, and recent Chinese films Red Cliff and The Crossing.
Fans curious about Woo and Ha’s experiences while filming the movie can tune in to local Chinese radio station 988 at 6pm today for a Manhunt special, during which DJ Cheryl and DJ Jason will conduct an interview with them.
Manhunt opens in local cinemas nationwide on Nov 23.