News

Exclusive: Pulse Films and Infernal Affairs director Andrew Lau have optioned English-language screen rights to Chinese comic book series Teddy Boy, the source material for Lau’s hit 90’s crime movie franchise Young And Dangerous.

Thomas Benski, Dimitra Tsingou and Brian Levy will be producing for Pulse. Lau and his producing partner Andrew Loo will be producing for Initial A. The project will be developed with an eye towards a feature film or an episodic series and Gangs Of London outfit Pulse is now out to writers and filmmakers with the intriguing material. The deal was done with Chinese publisher Concord Publishing.

Written by Hong Kong artist Kai-Ming Man and inked by Yu-Kwok Lun, Teddy Boy follows protagonist Ho-Nam Chan’s dizzying ascent through the ranks of the Hong Kong triad hierarchy. The celebrated series explores loyalty, brotherhood, politics and corruption as well as the intergenerational conflicts and power struggles...

International film finance and sales company Arclight Films has entered a multi-picture deal with Leeding Media, a firm specializing in cross-border collaboration between Hollywood and China. The partners are kicking off the relationship with the English-language heist film Safecracker, to be produced by Hong Kong filmmakers Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo.

Billed as an action-thriller, Safecracker centers on an expert criminal who is forced out of retirement when he’s framed for murder and must perform a complicated heist to prove his innocence. It's not yet clear whether Lau and Loo, who co-directed the 2014 Martin Scorsese-exec produced film Revenge Of...

Exclusive: David U Lee’s Beijing and La-based Leeding Media has entered a multi-picture deal with sales and finance company Arclight Films. The partners will start off the relationship with the English-language Safecracker. Leeding will co-finance and oversee production on the heist pic which is being produced by Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo's Initial A Entertainment. Safecracker is billed as an action-thriller which centers on an expert in the field who is forced out of…...

Wait! Just hold on a second... Before you rush off to the list and then the comments to get mad at me for the placement of these movies and "How dare you!" etc, etc... Remember, these are movies I consider disappointments for one reason or another, reasoning I set out to explain with each entry. Most often this has to do with expectations, whether it be because of the director, screenwriters, star, subject matter, what have you... This is never a fair position for a movie to be placed in, but it's the fact of the matter and I think this is a list far more interesting than the "Worst Movies of 2014" and, in some ways, perhaps even my "Top Ten Movies of 2014". With that out of the way, let's scroll through the ten films I consider to be the most disappointing of the year, six of which were on...

It seems every year I have this debate with myself whether or not to do a "worst of" list. Aren't the worst films of any year best forgotten, ignored, never to be mentioned againc Well, yes and no. Let's definitely forget them, but not forget the lessons they've taught us, lessons in what not to do, lessons of which 2014 was full of. Now before you go digging into this list, clicking the reviews and wondering how something that received a "D+" review could make the list over something that received a "D-", just understand grading movies isn't a science and, for me, what makes something the "worst" is very similar to what makes something the "best", it's the legacy the film holds in my mind. The films that made my "Top Ten Movies of 2014" are films I not only love, but films I hold fond memories for and would most...

 

It's a very busy weekend for cinema lovers in Austin. First up, you've got the Austin Asian American Film Festival at the Marchesa. It's a welcome return for the festival, which was last held in 2009. The fest aims to turn the spotlight on films from Japan, South Korea, Myanmar Thailand, Taiwan, India, the Philippines, Vietnam and the United States. It kicked off last night and will run through Sunday. Tonight, you can catch a Taiwanese drama called Ice Poison and Pee Mak, a horror film that is the highest grossing film in the history of Thailand. Saturday's lineup includes a Vietnamese comedy called Funny Money and the festival's centerpiece, Andrew Lay and Andrew Loo's Revenge Of The Green Dragons, a film that features Martin Scorsese as an executive producer. Sunday will include the Indian documentary Tomorrow We Disappear and the Japanese comedy Cicada. The full lineup and ticket information...

Based on actual crimes committed by the Chinatown gangs of late 1980s, Revenge of the Green Dragons is a gritty, real-life nightmare.  I chatted with co-directors Andrew Lau (Infernal Affairs, Young and Dangerous) and Andrew Loo about partnering with executive producer Martin Scorsese and the challenges of bringing the Green Dragons back to the streets of New York City. The Lady Miz Diva:  What brought this story to your attention? Andrew Loo:  After we finished The Flock with Richard Gere, we decided at that point there was an opportunity to collaborate together on an English-language coproduction that Green Dragons helps define.  We were approached a pair of producers in New York who optioned the article, Revenge of the Green Dragons, by Frederick Dannen. So they...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

From the producer Martin Scorsese, “Revenge of the Green Dragons” looks at the real Asian gang that terrorized the streets of New York City in the 1980s and early 1990s.

The story followed two immigrant brothers Sonny (Justin Chon) and Steven (Kevin Wu) who survived child poverty by joining the Chinatown gang “The Green Dragons.” The brothers climbed through the ranks quickly, which drew the attention of the New York City Police Department. After an ill-fated love affair that pits Sonny against his own brother, he sets out for revenge on the very gang who made him on who is he.

Latino-Review had an exclusive telephone interview with Harry Shum Jr., who played the mysterious and merciless gang leader Paul Wong in the film. We talked about the Asian gangs, Paul Wong and switching gears in acting away from “Glee” TV shows and “Step Up” movies.

“Revenge of the Green Dragons...

Revenge of the Green Dragons

USA/China, 2014

Written by Andrew Loo and Michael Di Jiacomo

Directed by Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo

The problem with the new Revenge of the Green Dragons is that co-director Andrew Lau and executive producer Martin Scorsese are already joined at the hip over a previous story, which Lau made as Infernal Affairs before Scorsese re-made it as The Departed. Although Revenge of the Green Dragons is an entirely different type of story than those two films, it will inevitably be compared to them, as well as every other classic that the two men have made, and it suffers badly from the comparison.

Of all the films in Lau’s and Scorsese’s catalogs, this most closely resembles Goodfellas, right down to the omnipresent voiceover narration by the lead character. Sonny (Justin Chon of the Twilight series) immigrates to America as a small child, and...

While Revenge Of The Green Dragons is supposed to be a historically relevant glimpse into the Queens gang scene circa 1980, it feels very much like a cartoonish riff off of Walter Hill’s The Warriors. The Scorsese-produced film comes with a certain pedigree since Wai-keung Lau (Infernal Affairs) represents half of the directorial duo, joined by Andrew Loo, yet the clunky narrative scripted by Loo and Michael Di Jiacomo fails to properly grasp the thematic gravity of illegal immigration. The Green Dragons are the baddest mamma jammas this side of Queens, yet their foolishly ambitious nature only paves a cinematic road towards random gang shootouts, weightless acting and a faulty focus on pulpy action over more emotionally jarring factors about immigrants chasing the American dream.

The story follows Sonny (Justin Chon) and Steven (Kevin Wu), two brothers who are inducted into a Chinese street gang at a very early age.

It's not that kind of story, one where everyone lives happily ever after," narrates the hero of Revenge of the Green Dragons, announcing the film's attempt to avoid one cliché by indulging in another. Set mainly in the late 1980s, when the gang of the title ran roughshod throughout Queens, Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo's organized-crime saga is a study of marginalization and reactionary violence. Feeling like outsiders in their adoptive country, two kids named Sonny and Steven are forcibly initiated into the Green Dragons and used as child soldiers. Over the next several years, they learn to love their captors and carve out a place for themselves in society the only way they feel they're capable of doing: with guns and knives. Martin Scorsese receives an exec...

“There’s a storm coming detective, and I don’t know of any umbrellas that will keep this city dry,” says the protagonist of “The Revenge Of The Green Dragons” at one point. It’s spoken with a sincerity that had us scratching our heads in bewilderment, a statement that’s not exactly directed at this ludicrous, over-the-top mess of a movie, but at Martin Scorsese, who will have his name forever attached to it. Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo team up for directing duties (Lau’s “Infernal Affairs” gives you hope) with Scorsese executive producing. On paper, the film looked like it could be a boatload of extravagant, gun-toting fun. Little did we know that, in reality, reading “Martin Scorsese Presents” in the opening credits would be the closest this movie comes to being great. Sonny (Justin Chon) and Steven (Kevin Wu) are two Chinese-American brothers, who grew up in late-80s Queens,...

Dragon Seed: Lau & Loo’s Dissatisfying NYC Chinese Gang Saga

Martin Scorsese appears as executive producer on Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo’s Revenge of the Green Dragons, which is no surprise considering he famously remade Lau’s 2002 film Infernal Affairs as The Departed (2006). Featuring a gritty period portrait of gangland warfare in New Your City, it’s clearly the sort of material that Scorsese seems to be attracted to, and thematically, one could even say there are influences of titles like Mean Streets (1973) or Goodfellas (1990) in the mix, with slight homages here and there. But the similiarites are only skin deep. This saga, which is actually based on fact, feels too zany and forthright, any realistic human elements crushed beneath its predilection for exaggerated, dramatic performances and hyperviolence.

In 1983 Flushing, a young boy, Sonny, crosses into the Us without parents. Snakehead Mama (Eugenia Yuan), head of a Chinese...

Revenge Of The Green Dragons A24 Reviewed for Shockya by Harvey Karten. Data-based on Rotten Tomatoes Grade: C Director: Andrew Lau, Andrew Loo Screenplay: Michael Di Jiacomo, Andrew Loo Cast: Justin Chon, Kevin Wu, Harry Shum Jr., Ray Liotta, Jin Auyeung, Shuya Chang, Carl Li Screened at: Review 1, NYC, 9/8/14 Opens: October 24, 2014 If I remember the dates correctly, during the late 1970s, decades after the Communists took control of the Chinese mainland, power shifted outside of China, as the Communists destroyed the local gangs, some of whose members emigrated to New York. Wars raged in New York’s Chinatown in 1977 between Chinese gangs centering on Mott Street [ Read More ]

The post Revenge of the Green Dragons Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

“There’s a storm coming detective, and I don’t know of any umbrellas that will keep this city dry,” says the protagonist of “The Revenge Of The Green Dragons” at one point. It’s spoken with a sincerity that had us scratching our heads in bewilderment, a statement that’s not exactly directed at this ludicrous, over-the-top mess of a movie, but at Martin Scorsese, who will have his name forever attached to it. Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo team up for directing duties (Lau’s “Infernal Affairs” gives you hope) with Scorsese executive producing. On paper, the film looked like it could be a boatload of extravagant, gun-toting fun. Little did we know that, in reality, reading “Martin Scorsese Presents” in the opening credits would be the closest this movie comes to being great. Sonny (Justin Chon) and Steven (Kevin Wu) are two Chinese-American brothers, who grew up in late-80s Queens,...

Plot: In the late-eighties/early nineties, a violent gang of Chinese immigrants take the NYC underworld by storm, building up an empire focused on drug smuggling and human trafficking. Review: Revenge Of The Green Dragons is one of the few Tiff movies that . for me . has not lived up to my expectations. While his first American movie, The Flock, wasn't any good, director Andrew Lau (who co-directed this with writer Andrew Loo) has a long and accomplished career as a Hong Kong director,...

"There's a storm coming, and I don't know of any umbrella that can keep the city dry." This is an actual quote from Revenge of the Green Dragons, an awful movie if I've ever seen one and a baffling one at that as Martin Scorsese has attached his name to the picture as an executive producer, presumably as a nod to co-writer and co-director Andy Lau going back to when Scorsese adapted Infernal Affairs into the Oscar winner The Departed. Fair enough, but Lau makes more than enough films and Scorsese didn't need to come within a mile of this one and tarnish his reputation. Then again, perhaps this 94-minute cut isn't the only cut of the film out there. The trailer certainly includes shots that aren't in the film and the characters are so poorly established there has to be more than what I saw. Of course, that won't...

The line-up at this year's Toronto Film Festival has a much different feel than year's past and coming up with a list of most anticipated films isn't nearly as easy as previous years. Not because there's any lack of possible greatness, but in fact perhaps because the possibility is even greater, though in corners we may not expect. This year's fest is without what I would call a "big" film. David Dobkin's The Judge is opening the festival but at 141 minutes and with a trailer that does very little to convince me of its quality I have a hard time expecting much from it. Reese Witherspoon's Wild from director Jean-Marc Vallee is certainly one I will be seeing, but the anticipation level isn't entirely there and the somewhat muted Telluride response of respect with caveats has lessened my anticipation ever so slightly, the same could be said for Jon Stewart's Rosewater,...

As we look in the rearview mirror of the summer blockbusters, September heralds the start of the fall movie season. Filled with Hollywood heavyweights and A-listers, here’s our Big list of the most anticipated movies coming to cinemas this autumn and during the holidays.

Our exhaustive list includes films that are playing at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival as well the ones that already have a theatrical release date. With the awards season on the horizon, we also added a few bonus films at the end to keep your eye out for in the months ahead.

Pull up a chair, grab a pen and paper and get ready for Wamg’s Guide to the 100+ Films This Fall And Holiday Season.

We kick it off with what’s showing in Toronto at the film festival that runs September 4 – 14.

Maps To The Stars – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival; UK & Ireland September...

It seems as if the 2014 Toronto Film Festival lineup is more or less set. I'm not expecting any major additions after today's announcement and have taken another look at my current list of most likely films I'll be screening while in town, though this is largely based on title and director alone as I have yet to really dig into the titles unfamiliar to me so it's possible a few may find their way into the mix once all is said and done. That said, if you think there are some I'm missing please let me know... don't want to overlook anything. Note, I will be in Toronto from September 3-10 and expect I'll see about 18 movies maximum while I'm there. Right now the full list below is 48 movies not including the four I've already seen (but have yet to review) and the one I don't think I'll even have a chance to see.

The trailer and poster have been released for the Martin Scorsese-produced film Revenge of the Green Dragons. The movie was directed by Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo, and it's based on a New Yorker article by Frederick Dannen's that chronicled the underworld of Asian-American gang life in 80's and 90's New York City.

The story follows "two immigrant brothers Sonny (Justin Chon) and Steven (Kevin Wu) who survive the impoverished despair of New York in the 1980s by joining Chinatown gang 'The Green Dragons.' The brothers quickly rise up the ranks, drawing the unwanted attention of hard-boiled city cops. After an ill-fated love affair pits Sonny against his own brother, he sets out for revenge on the very gang who made him who he is."

The movie will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. DirecTV will immediately follow with an exclusive 30-day window beginning September 11th,...

Toronto top brass have unveiled details of the Asia Film Summit, Moguls panel and Doc Conference.

Asia Film Summit

The third annual Asia Film Summit is set for September 9 at the Shangri-La Hotel and features Legendary East CEO Peter Loehr, The Raid franchise director Gareth Evans, directors Andrew Lau and Wang Xiaoshuai, UniJapan’s Kenta Fudesaka and senior vp of Cj Entertainment Kini Kim.

The programme includes a headline conversation between Loehr and Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) artistic director Cameron Bailey and a conversation on Asian art-house and vanguard cinema with Xiaoshuai, Evans, Xyz Films partner Nate Bolotin and Chinese Shadows’ Isabelle Glachant.

This year’s Case Study will profile Revenge Of The Green Dragons, the Tiff world premiere screening directed by Lau, who will be joined on stage by co-director and writer Andrew Loo and one of the film’s stars, Justin Chon.

A panel on global storytelling will feature Canadian director Richie Mehta, Well...

Toronto top brass have unveiled details of the Asia Film Summit, Moguls panel and Doc Conference.

Asia Film Summit

The third annual Asia Film Summit is set for September 9 at the Shangri-La Hotel and features Legendary East CEO Peter Loehr, The Raid franchise director Gareth Evans, directors Andrew Lau and Wang Xiaoshuai, UniJapan’s Kenta Fudesaka and senior vp of Cj Entertainment Kini Kim.

The programme includes a headline conversation between Loehr and Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) artistic director Cameron Bailey and a conversation on Asian art-house and vanguard cinema with Xiaoshuai, Evans, Xyz Films partner Nate Bolotin and Chinese Shadows’ Isabelle Glachant.

This year’s Case Study will profile Revenge Of The Green Dragons, the Tiff world premiere screening directed by Lau, who will be joined on stage by co-director and writer Andrew Loo and one of the film’s stars, Justin Chon.

A panel on global storytelling will feature Canadian director Richie Mehta, Well...

Below you can watch the first great trailer for Revenge of the Green Dragons from directors Andrew Lau (Infernal Affairs) and Andrew Loo. The crime drama is based on a true story and is described as a Hong Kong action film and a New York City crime thriller, which is awesome.

Here’s the official synopsis:

In the vein of crime classics like Mean Streets and Infernal Affairs, Revenge Of The Green Dragons follows two immigrant brothers Sonny (Justin Chon) and Steven (Kevin Wu) who survive the impoverished despair of New York in the 1980s by joining Chinatown gang “The Green Dragons”. The brothers quickly rise up the ranks, drawing the unwanted attention of hard-boiled city cops. After an ill- fated love affair pits Sonny against his own brother, he sets out for revenge on the very gang who made him who he is. From acclaimed Director Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo,...

The first poster and trailer for Andrew Lau's Revenge of the Green Dragons have arrived online. The film will have its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival.

Revenge of the Green Dragons is based on  Frederick Dannen's New Yorker article that told the story of the underworld of Asian-American gang life in 80's and 90's New York City.

The film stars Justin Chon (Twilight: Breaking Dawn), Kevin Wu, Harry Shum, Jr. (Glee), Shuya Chang, with Geoff Pierson (J. Edgar), Billy Magnussen and Ray Liotta.

Martin Scorsese is backing the film as Executive Producer. Scorsese is a fan of Lau. His film, The Departed, is a remake of Lau's Internal Affairs.

Here's the film's official synopsis:

In the vein of crime classics like Mean Streets and Infernal Affairs, Revenge Of The Green Dragons follows two immigrant brothers Sonny (Justin Chon) and Steven (Kevin Wu) who survive the impoverished despair...

The first trailer, poster and syopsis have been released for Revenge of the Green Dragons, the upcoming crime drama from directors Andrew Lau (Infernal Affairs) and Andrew Loo.

Martin Scorsese is serving as executive producer on the movie, something which isn’t a huge surprise in some ways as it was The Wolf of Wall Street director who helmed a remake of Infernal Affairs with 2006′s The Departed.

Revenge of the Green Dragons focuses on two immigrant brothers who join a Chinatown gang known as “The Green Dragons” in order to survive the poverty of 1980s New York. It’s based on a true story, and interestingly it appears as if the concept of the American Dream will form the movie’s backdrop.

In the vein of crime classics like Mean Streets and Infernal Affairs, Revenge Of The Green Dragons follows two immigrant brothers Sonny (Justin Chon) and Steven (Kevin Wu...

A24 Films and DirecTV have released the first trailer and poster for Revenge of the Green Dragons, which will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next month. DirecTV subscribers will get to see the action-thriller first, with an exclusive 30-day window starting September 11, with a theatrical release in October to follow from A24 Films. Check out the first footage and one-sheet, then read on for more details about this true-story adaptation starring Justin Chon, Kevin Wu, Harry Shum Jr. and Ray Liotta, which was executive produced by Martin Scorsese.

A24 and DirecTV have teamed up on Revenge of the Green Dragons, directed by Andrew Lau & Andrew Loo, and executive produced by Martin Scorsese.

Revenge of the Green Dragons will have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. DirecTV will immediately follow with an exclusive 30-day window beginning September 11, followed by an A24 theatrical release in October.

A24 and DirecTV have teamed up on Revenge Of The Green Dragons, directed by Andrew Lau & Andrew Loo, and executive produced by Martin Scorsese.

Here’s a first look at the brand new poster and trailer for the film.

In the vein of crime classics like Mean Streets and Infernal Affairs, Revenge Of The Green Dragons follows two immigrant brothers Sonny (Justin Chon) and Steven (Kevin Wu) who survive the impoverished despair of New York in the 1980s by joining Chinatown gang “The Green Dragons”. The brothers quickly rise up the ranks, drawing the unwanted attention of hard-boiled city cops.

After an ill- fated love affair pits Sonny against his own brother, he sets out for revenge on the very gang who made him who he is. From acclaimed Director Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo, and legendary Executive Producer Martin Scorsese comes a brilliant mix between a Hong Kong action...

Ray Liotta, Justin Chon (Twilight), and Harry Shum, Jr. (Glee) star in the 1990s NYC-set action crime drama that’s executive produced by Martin Scorsese and set to debut next month at the Toronto Film Festival. Revenge of the Green Dragons is helmed by Andrew Lau & Andrew Loo and was inspired by Frederick Dannen’s New Yorker article chronicling Asian-American gang life in Queens, NY. It’s a reunion of sorts for Lau and Scorsese after the latter remade Lau’s Hong Kong crime pic Infernal Affairs into his own Oscar-winning 2006 film The Departed. Pic tracks immigrant siblings Sonny (Chon) and Steven (Kevin Wu) who join Chinatown’s Green Dragons in pursuit of their own American Dream, only to find themselves at odds when Sonny turns against his brother and the organization.

Shuya Chang, Geoff Pierson, Billy Magnussen, and Eugenia Yuan also star. Michael Dijiacomo and Loo co-wrote the script...

Director Martin Scorsese turned the Hong Kong crime thriller Infernal Affairs into the Best Picture winning The Departed, and now he's producing another film in the same vein called Revenge of the Green Dragons. The film will have its world premiere at Tiff next month and it's just been announced that DirecTV subscribers will be able to watch it immediately afterwards over a 30-day window starting September 11th before A24 sends it to theaters in October. Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo co-direct the film following two best friends as they rise through the ranks of New York’s Chinese underworld in the 1980s. And now here's the first trailer with Ray Liotta, Justin Chon, Harry Shum Jr. & more. Watch! Here's the first trailer for Andrew Lau & Andrew Loo's Revenge of the Green Dragons from A24: And here's the first poster for the film produced by the legendary Martin Scorsese...

A24 Films has released the first Revenge of the Green Dragons trailer and poster for directors Andrew Lau (Infernal Affairs) and Andrew Loo’s upcoming crime drama. Based on a true story, the film revolves around two immigrant brothers (played by Justin Chon and Kevin Wu) who survive the poverty of 1980s New York by joining the Chinatown gang “The Green Dragons”, where they quickly rise up the ranks and draw the attention of the city cops. Martin Scorsese—who remade Infernal Affairs with 2006’s The Departed—lends his name to the film as an executive producer, and it’s not hard to see why. The trailer highlights a unique story with heavy stakes, told against the backdrop of the American Dream. It looks to be an altogether promising feature, and one I’m curious to check out. Hit the jump to check out the Revenge of the Green Dragons trailer and poster.

Talk about mean streets. A24 and DirecTV are partnering to release English-language Hong Kong/New York action film "Revenge of the Green Dragons," a true story directed by Andrew Lau & Andrew Loo and executive produced by Martin Scorsese, who won an Academy Award for "The Departed," a remake of Lau’s "Infernal Affairs." Immediately following "Revenge of the Green Dragon"'s world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, DirecTV will have an exclusive 30-day window beginning September 11, followed by A24's theatrical release in October. This is A24's third film released in partnership with DirecTV, following Denis Villeneuve's "Enemy" Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, and Jeff Baena's directorial debut "Life After Beth," which opens Friday after showing at Sundance and Sundance Next in La. The movie is based on Frederick Dannen's New Yorker chronicle of the 80s and 90s Asian-American gang world in New York...

The first trailer and poster for directors Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo’s Revenge Of The Green Dragons have landed and you should definitely check them out. Martin Scorsese lends his executive producing power to the film which is directly inspired by tales of ’80s and ’90s Asian-American gangs in New York. Scorsese finally got his long overdue Best Director Oscar when he adapted Lau’s Infernal Affairs into The Departed; so it’s nice to see them...

Just yesterday it was announced Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo's crime-thriller Revenge of the Green Dragons would premiere at the Toronto Film Festival and now we get an announcement that A24 has acquired domestic distribution rights and immediately following the Toronto premiere, the will have an exclusive premiere on DirecTV for 30-days, beginning September 11. A24 will follow that up with an October release. Martin Scorsese serves as executive producer on the film that's said to be in the vein of crime classics like Mean Streets and Infernal Affairs. The story follows two immigrant brothers Sonny (Justin Chon) and Steven (Kevin Wu) who survive the impoverished despair of New York in the 1980s by joining Chinatown gang "The Green Dragons". The brothers quickly rise up the ranks, drawing the unwanted attention of hard-boiled city cops. After an ill- fated love affair pits Sonny against his own brother, he sets out...

The last time director Andrew Lau and Martin Scorsese were directly associated, it was because Scorsese was remaking Lau’s Infernal Affairs as The Departed. This time around, he’s simply helping out as an executive producer, backing Lau’s new English-language crime thriller Revenge Of The Green Dragons, which has launched a trailer.Directed by Lau and Andrew Loo, from a script by Loo and Michael Dijiacomo, Green Dragons follows immigrant brothers Sonny (Justin Chon) and Steven (Kevin Wu) who live and survive in the impoverished squalor of 1980s New York largely by joining powerful Chinatown gang The Green Dragons.Rising quickly through the ranks, the brothers are soon drawing the suspicious attention of tough city cops, but it’s love that truly puts them in danger. An ill-fated romance pits Sonny against his own brother, and puts him on a course to seek revenge against the very gang...

From acclaimed director Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo, and legendary Executive Producer Martin Scorsese comes a brilliant mix between a Hong Kong action film and a New York City crime thriller, portraying the never-before-told true story of "The Green Dragons". In the vein of crime classics like Mean Streets and Infernal Affairs, Revenge Of The Green Dragons follows two immigrant brothers Sonny (Justin Chon) and Steven (Kevin Wu) who survive the impoverished despair of New York in the 1980s by joining Chinatown gang "The Green Dragons". The brothers quickly rise up the ranks, drawing the unwanted attention of hard-boiled city cops. After an ill- fated love affair pits Sonny against his own brother, he sets out for revenge on the very gang who made him who he is. Revenge Of The Green...

The Toronto International Film Festival announced more selections Tuesday for the upcoming 2014 edition of the annual awards season kick-off. The majority of the festival's program was announced last month, but this group includes intriguing world premieres from notable directors such as Todd McCarthy ("The Cobbler") and Gina Prince-Bythewood ("Beyond the Lights"). A number of the titles revealed have screened at other festivals including the underrated "Infinitely Polar Bear" and "Laggies" from Sundance as well as Cannes players "Two Days, One Night," "The Search" and "Clouds of Sils Maria." And yes, the presence of "Sils Maria," which is a favorite of this particular writer, means Kristen Stewart will likely hit one of the festival's many red carpets. As you'd expect for Toronto, the world premieres feature some big names including Josh Hutcherson and Benicio Del Toro in "Escobar: Paradise Lost," Jean Dujardin in "The Connection (La French)," Dustin Hoffman in "Boychoir,...

This morning the Toronto Film Festival added several more films to their lineup including the world premiere of Thomas McCarthy's The Cobbler which stars Adam Sandler as a New York City cobbler who, disenchanted with the grind of daily life, stumbles upon a magical heirloom that allows him to step into the lives of his customers and see the world in a new way. The film co-stars Method Man, Ellen Barkin, Melonie Diaz, Dan Stevens, Steve Buscemi and Dustin Hoffman. Additionally, Sundance standouts Infinity Polar Bear and Laggies starring Keira Knightley and Chloe Grace Moretz were added to the Gala selection. Joining The Cobbler as new additions to the Special Presentations field include Olivier Assayas' Clouds of Sils Maria starring Kristen Stewart and Juliette Binoche and Two Days, One Night from Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne and starring Marion Cotillard. Both films made a splash at Cannes earlier this year,...

Just how much sway do Tiff programmers have? Looking at today’s Gala and Special Presentation add-ons, measurably, when it comes to films with star-wattage and acquisitions titles, the industry sides with high value world premiere slot in downtown Toronto. Complimenting Sundance (Maya Forbes’ Infinitely Polar Bear and Lynn Shelton’s Laggies) and Cannes (Assayas, the Dardennes), the wide net includes Francois Girard’s Boychoir, Richard Loncraine’s Ruth & Alex, Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Beyond the Lights, Thomas McCarthy’s The Cobbler, Shira Piven’s Welcome to Me, and in a very Gustave Flaubert type of year includes Anne Fontaine’s Gemma Bovery and Sophie Barthes’ Madame Bovary. In directorial debuts, Henry Hobson presents Maggie, actor Paul Bettany presents Shelter (see pic of star and his wife above), Andrea Di Stefano’s Escobar: Paradise Lost and Philip Martin’s The Forger. Here are the additional items:

Galas

“Boychoir,” Francois Girard / World...

The 2014 Toronto Film Festival, which begins Sept. 4, added seven Galas and 17 Special Presentations to its lineup, including a semi-serious Adam Sandler project from Tom McCarthy, the director of The Station Agent and The Visitor. In The Cobbler, Sandler plays a man who has the unique ability to walk in his customers’ shoes. The movie features Dustin Hoffman, who also stars in Boychoir, François Girard’s tale of an orphan’s steep learning curve at a prestigious music school. In Welcome to Me, Kristen Wiig plays a mentally unstable woman who wins the lottery and decides to sink her winnings into a talk show.

The Arnold Schwarzenegger and Abigail Breslin zombie drama Maggie, Dustin Hoffman drama Boychoir, Kristen Wiig comedy Welcome To Me and Sophie Barthes’ Madame Bovary have landed world premieres, Tiff gala and special presentation slots.

Also in line to screen for the first time anywhere at the Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 4-14) are crime thriller The Forger starring John Travolta, Christopher Plummer and Tye Sheridan, thriller Escobar: Paradise Lost starring Benicio Del Toro, Thomas McCarthy’s The Cobbler starring Adam Sandler, and Paul Bettany’s directorial debut Shelter.

Tiff top brass also unveiled the Wavelengths, Future Projections, Tiff Cinematheque and shorts programmes.

Wp = World premiere / Nap = North American premiere / IP = International premiere / Cp = Canadian premiere.

Galas

Boychoir (Us), François Girard Wp

The Connection (La French) (France-Belgium), Cédric Jimenez Wp

Escobar: Paradise Lost (France), Andrea Di Stefano Wp

The Forger (Us), Philip Martin Wp

Infinitely Polar Bear (Us), Maya Forbes Cp

Laggies (Us), Lynn Shelton IP

Ruth & Alex...

The Arnold Schwarzenegger and Abigail Breslin zombie drama Maggie, Kristen Wiig comedy Welcome To Me and Sophie Barthes’ Madame Bovary have landed world premieres, Tiff gala and special presentation slots.

Also in line to screen for the first time anywhere at the Toronto International Film Festival (Sept 4-14) are crime thriller The Forger starring John Travolta, Christopher Plummer and Tye Sheridan, thriller Escobar: Paradise Lost starring Benicio Del Toro, Thomas McCarthy’s The Cobbler starring Adam Sandler, and Paul Bettany’s directorial debut Shelter.

Tiff top brass also unveiled the Wavelength, Future Projections, Tiff Cinematheque and shorts programmes.

Wp = World premiere / Nap = North American premiere / IP = International premiere / Cp = Canadian premiere.

Galas

Boychoir (Us), François Girard Wp

The Connection (La French) (France-Belgium), Cédric Jimenez Wp

Escobar: Paradise Lost (France), Andrea Di Stefano Wp

The Forger (Us), Philip Martin Wp

Infinitely Polar Bear (Us), Maya Forbes Cp

Laggies (Us), Lynn Shelton IP

Ruth & Alex (Us), Richard Loncraine Wp

Special...

Expect to see a bevy of stars on the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival this September. Today, more Gala and Special Presentation titles were announced, with some star-studded projects in the mix. Now, Escobar: Paradise Lost, starring Benicio del Toro as the infamous drug lord, will have its world premiere at Tiff, as will The Forger, with John Travolta, Christopher Plummer and Tye Sheridan.

Other promising projects newly announced to be screening at Tiff are Win Win director Thomas McCarthy’s The Cobbler, which finds Adam Sandler taking on a rare dramatic role; Clouds of Sils Maria, which stars Juliette Binoche as an aging actress who confronts the young starlet (Chloe Grace Moretz) taking on the role that made her famous decades earlier; and Gemma Bovery, starring Gemma Arterton as the sensual object of a French food critic’s affection. Check out the full list of new...

The 39th Toronto International Film Festival added another seven Galas and 17 Special Presentations to its September fest lineup running September 4 to 14. Here are the newcomers:

Galas

Boychoir François Girard, USA World Premiere

An orphaned 12-year-old boy is sent to prestigious music school where he struggles to join an elite group of world-class singers. No one expects this rebellious loner to succeed, least of all the school’s relentlessly-tough conductor who wages a battle of wills to bring out the boy’s extraordinary musical gift. Starring Dustin Hoffman, Kathy Bates, Josh Lucas, Kevin McHale, Eddie Izzard, Debra Winger and Garrett Wareing.

The Connection (La French) Cédric Jimenez, France/Belgium World Premiere

Marseille, 1975. Pierre Michel, a young police magistrate with a wife and children, has just been transferred to help crack down on the city’s organized crime. He decides to take on the French Connection, a Mafia-run operation that exports heroin all over the world.

What is Casting Couch? It’s the casting news roundup that always keeps its promises. Yesterday we promised we’d be back soon with Cinderella’s second evil stepsister, and today we deliver. Given her spindly, spider-like limbs, her silky black hair, and her porcelain skin, it was probably only a matter of time before Krysten Ritter ended up acting in a Tim Burton movie. The girl is basically goth catnip. So, appropriately enough, a report out of Deadline is saying that she just joined Burton’s next project, Big Eyes. This one will see Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams portraying 50s and 60s art sensations Walter and Margaret Keane, and Ritter playing Margaret’s outgoing friend, DeeAnn, who urges her to come out of her shell and stop letting her fast-talking husband take credit for her weird paintings of kids with big eyes. Can’t get enough of seeing Ray Liotta playing cops and/or robbers...

Annie

Sandra Bullock is in early talks to join the update of the classic comic turned musical "Annie" at Sony Pictures. Will Smith and Jay-z will produce the film which Will Gluck is directing.

Bullock would play Miss Hannigan, the mean lady who runs the orphanage inhabited by Annie (Quvenzhane Wallis) and her friends. Jamie Foxx will also star as a modern incarnation of billionaire Daddy Warbucks. [Source: THR]

Green Dragons

Ray Liotta, Justin Chon and Harry Shum Jr. ("Glee") have joined the Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo-directed crime thriller "Revenge of the Green Dragons". Martin Scorsese will executive produce, and shooting begins this week.

The story is adapted from Fredric Dannen’s New Yorker article, which chronicles a murder investigation involving the New York-based Green Dragons gang. Liotta plays the New York detective leading the investigation. [Source: Variety]

Rosewater

The casting of Gael Garcia Bernal in the Jon Stewart-directed "Rosewater" remains...

Top brass at Im Global’s genre division announced on Wednesday [12] that Ray Liotta has joined the Triad thriller Revenge Of The Green Dragons as production got underway.

Octane is fully financing and handles international sales on the story about a murder investigation involving a New York-based Asian gang. The screenplay is based on a New Yorker article by Frederic Dannen.

Liotta will play the lead New York detective and joins new cast members Justin Chon and Harry Shum Jr.

Hong Kong’s Andrew Lau directs and Andrew Loo produces. Martin Scorsese serves as executive producer, reuniting with Liotta 13 years after the release of Goodfellas.

Scorsese and Lau are no strangers, either – Scorsese adapted Lau’s Internal Affairs into Oscar winner The Departed.

Ray Liotta has joined Revenge Of The Green Dragons, the thriller helmed by Andrew Lau and Andrew Loo, with production beginning in New York. The triad thriller is executive produced by Martin Scorsese and is fully financed by Im Global’s prolific genre label Octane. Scorsese’s Best Picture Oscar-winning The Departed was a remake of Lau’s Hong Kong gangster film Infernal Affairs. Liotta will play the lead New York detective responsible for investigating the brutal gang and bringing them to justice. He is coming off The Iceman, The Place Beyond The Pines and Killing Them Softly. Also joining the cast are Justin Chon and Harry Shum. The film’s based on Fredric Dannen’s New Yorker article about the terror spree inflicted by the Green Dragons, the gang of Asian youths in Chinatown.

Concluding a deal just ahead of the WGA strike, currently scheduled to begin at 12:01 a.m. Monday, the Weinstein Co. has bought David Andron's screenplay "Transit" and attached Andrew Lau to direct.

Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who produced the Weinstein Co.'s "Derailed" and "1408", will produce the action thriller through his Di Bonaventura Pictures, with Adam Kolbrenner attached as exec producer.

Lau's producing partner Andrew Loo is co-producing "Transit" via the duo's newly formed company Initial A Entertainment.

"Transit" will be made through the Weinstein Co.'s Asian Film Fund, Michael Cole, co-president of production at the Weinstein Co., said.

The screenplay tells the story of a man who is forced to kill three men in three different cities in 12 hours or his son will die. Andron also has penned the pilot for NBC's upcoming retooling of "Knight Rider".

Lau, best known for "Infernal Affairs", which was remade as "The Departed", is already making three films for the Weinstein Co. in Hong Kong.

Lucas Carter, director of production and development, identified the script for the Weinstein Co.