Andy Lau is set to star in "The Bodyguard." (Photo : Reuters)
A new Chinese film, "The Bodyguard," is set to hit Chinese mainland screens this year on April 1, with its cast featuring Hong Kong-based martial arts hero Sammo Hung and Cantopop singer and actor Andy Lau, reported China Daily.
The film tells the story of a retired special forces officer, who must return to action in the streets so that he can rescue a young girl kidnapped from his neighborhood.
To describe the film, the 67-year-old Hung told reporters in Beijing, "It is an unlikely action thriller."
Hung is also the action director of the film.
"The Bodyguard" will bring together the tandem of Hung and Lau who have not worked in a film together since they appeared in the action epic "Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon" eight years ago.
The 55-year-old Lau said that the emotional element of the new film would set it apart from the usual "cold-blooded" thrillers that feature criminal gangs.
Lau also serves as the film's producer.
Film critics and entertainment media have been quick to draw comparisons between "The Bodyguard" and Luc Besson's critically acclaimed "Leon: The Professional" that was released in 1994. The latter film tells the story of a hitman, played by Jean Reno, who takes care of a young girl, played by Natalie Portman, and trains her to become a hitman.
Because the setting of the film's story is a small town along the border separating China and Russia, most of the scenes were shot in Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China, as well as the coastal Russian city of Vladivostok.
EDKO, a Hong Kong-based studio, is the main producer of the film. The studio was the same that produced "Monster Hunt," the country's biggest box-office success to date.
