Hong Kong actor Donnie Yen Ji-dan shines as the blind monk Chirrut Imwe in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” which premiered on Dec. 15, Thursday.
The 53-year-old actor disclosed that he almost did not accept the role when it was offered to him because it would mean he had to leave Hong Kong and be away from his kids for months. It took him a few months to decide before he accepted the offer, but now on a hindsight, Donnie Yen does not regret the decision, South China Morning Post reported.
Donnie Yen, who starred in “Ip Man 3,” said that he suggested to the producers of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” to make Chirrut Imwe blind so the character would have some distinctive characteristics. He said the character being blind is consistent with the story.
He explained that since Chirrut Imwe is a fighter who uses martial arts, the character being blind is consistent with the movie’s story. Martial arts, according to Donnie Yen, is about feeling with one’s heart, and if a person is blind, he has to feel things with his heart.
Although Chirrut Imwe is considered the best fighter in the movie, he had difficulty fighting blind since he could still see a little through the foggy contact lenses he used. “When you have to play a blind person and you can see, it’s very difficult to do because you have visual illusions,” the actor admitted.
To convince himself that the surroundings around him was black, before each take, Donnie Yen closed his eyes and then opened it again to try and replicate the sensation. It was the hardest part of the shoot, he said.
Besides Donnie Yen, another Chinese actor played the soldier Baze Malbus. The actor was Jiang Wen, an actor and director who starred with Donnie Yen in the 2011 movie “The Lost Bladesman.”
According to Deadline, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Movie” would likely earn $30 million box-office receipt on preview night, or 47 percent lower than the record $57 million earned by “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in 2015. But it is still the second-best opening day ever for a December exhibition.
The movie cost $200 million to produce and it is expected to earn on its worldwide opening weekend between $250 million and $300 million, Marketwatch reported.