[2015.03.20] JOHN WOO REMAKES THE KEN TAKAKURA CLASSIC MANHUNT

Media Asia boss Peter Lam invites John Woo to remake MANHUNT.  The production will start in Autumn.

Ken Takakura's MANHUNT caused a stir in Mainland Chan when it was released in 1978
courtesy of mingpao.com

John Woo (Ng Yu Sum) will work on the Japanese novel based film MANHUNT. The novel years ago was once adapted into a Japanese film of the same title with famous star Ken Takakura. The film MANHUNT in 1978 was released in Mainland China, the first foreign film release after the Cultural Revolution. It led to an enormous response. The film was about the Ken Takakura played kind prosecutor who was suddenly framed for a robbery and rape; in order to clear his name he decided to investigate the truth.

Ng Yu Sum has always been a Ken Takakura fan since STATION. When he made A BETTER TOMORROW (YING HUNG BOON SIK) and started a hero film fever, he already wanted to work with Ken Takakura. Unfortunately he never had the chance. Instead they collaborated at Japanese director Kinji Fukasaku's funeral. He handed his eulogy for Kinji Fukasaku for Ken Takakua to deliver in Japanese.

Media Asia film company felt that now is the best time to bring MANHUNT back to the silver screen, began to purchase the film right for the Juko Nishimura's original novel Kimi yo Fundo no Kawa o Watare from Japanese publisher Tokuma Shoten and came up with director choices. When Media Asian film boss Peter Lam Kin Ngok learned that director Ng Yu Sum was a MANHUNT fan he invited him to direct. Coincidentally Ng Yu Sum was remembering Ken Takakura, who just passed away; so he decided to accept this challenge.