Donnie Yen has been a superstar in Hong Kong (and throughout the world) for over 20 years now, but most people in the U.S. have no clue who he is. While contemporaries like Jackie Chan and Jet Li became household names by appearing in stuff like ROMEO MUST DIE and RUSH HOUR, Yen has largely eschewed Hollywood to knock out top-notch HK actioners like the IP MANs, SPL (a.k.a. KILL ZONE), and FLASH POINT. He's appeared in only three English-language films (all sequels: HIGHLANDER: ENDGAME, BLADE II, and SHANGHAI KNIGHTS), but spoke nary a line of English in any of them.
But all that is changing.
First, he's set to appear in the English-language sequel to CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, though it's to be seen whether his "Silent Wolf" will even utter a word in that film. And then, more intriguingly, he's finally heading up an American action film (an American-Chinese co-production, to be exact) that takes place in New York's Chinatown.
Yen will star in NOODLE MAN as a former Chinese cop who retired and relocated to NYC after a drug kingpin killed his partner. 15 years after the incident, that same pusher walks into the Chinatown noodle shop he now runs…and Yen's still quite pissed.
The film is being produced by Michael Shamberg will be directed by Daming Chen, who helmed the successful HK remake of WHAT WOMEN WANT with Andy Lau and Gong Li. Hopefully, Chen can handle the practicalities of shooting with an American crew on the cluttered sidewalks and intersections of New York City, as well as providing this English-language kung-fu flick with a hearty amount of eastern flavor.
The 51-year-old Yen is still a formidable onscreen presence, and I bet he can still do moves that will make us all gasp in bewilderment. I can't wait to see him do his thing in the streets and backalleys of downtown New York.
And I'm very curious to hear him speak in English.
Video evidence of Yen's badassery. Jump to 1:22 to have your mind blown.
