Hong Kong director-producer Johnnie To has been scouting areas for a brand new motion film in northern Japan, resulting in hopes that he’ll quickly return to directing.
To has been noticed both testing areas or assembly with native authorities officers in Sapporo and Kita Hiroshima, each positioned within the snowy northern district of Hokkaido, since late December final yr.
Japanese media has speculated that Tony Leung Chiu-wai will star within the film that To is prepping. Nonetheless, a spokesperson for To’s Hong Kong-based manufacturing firm Milkyway Picture informed Deadline that the challenge remains to be in early growth, and whereas he’s eager to work with Leung, nothing has been confirmed.
To and Leung each served as jury members ultimately yr’s Tokyo Worldwide Movie Pageant, with To heading the jury and discussing the present panorama for Hong Kong filmmakers throughout the competition’s TIFF Lounge dialog collection with Japanese director Yu Irie.
Considered one of Hong Kong’s main administrators, and a daily at main festivals corresponding to Cannes and Berlin, To has not directed a feature-length film since romantic comedy Chasing Dream in 2019, though he directed a phase of the 2020 anthology movie Septet: The Story Of Hong Kong. He additionally produced Soi Cheang’s Mad Destiny, which premiered in Berlin in 2023.
It’s understood that To’s long-gestating third installment within the acclaimed Election collection could now be tough to tug off contemplating the current political adjustments in Hong Kong. The primary movie within the collection, Election (2005), premiered in competitors at Cannes and gained greatest director at Sitges.
Japan has just lately been actively courting worldwide productions to shoot within the nation, after an extended interval of not being thought of a significant filming vacation spot, with the launch of aggressive manufacturing incentives and co-production schemes. Hokkaido press reported that To had a gathering with Sapporo Mayor Katsuhiro Akimoto, throughout which he stated, “I wish to unfold the phrase about Hokkaido and Sapporo to the world by way of films,” earlier than exchanging items of image books and To’s self-produced whisky.
