The cast of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." The film is considered as the highest grossing foreign language film in the history of Hollywood. (Photo : Reuters)
Fifteen years after the Ang Lee masterpiece "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" conquered cinemas worldwide, the trailer for its sequel has been recently released.
The film, officially titled "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny," is set for release on Netflix and select Chinese theaters on Feb. 8 next year.
Deviating a lot from the award-winning 2000 film, the "Crouching Tiger" sequel follows the adventures of four martial arts heroes who were tasked to protect Green Destiny, a 400-year-old sword.
The film will star Michelle Yeoh, who will reprise her role as the warrior Yu Shu-Lien in the original title. She will be joined by Harry Shum Jr. and Donnie Yen.
"Sword of Destiny" is helmed by highly acclaimed martial arts choreographer and director Yuen Wo-Ping ("Kill Bill: Vol. 2" and "Drunken Master").
Based on the trailer, the film will be in English, unlike the original movie, which is in Mandarin.
The anticipated sequel has already received praises and criticisms two months before its release. The first film was considered a worldwide phenomenon as it received four Oscars and hailed as the highest grossing foreign film in the United States.
According to film aficionados, the original "Crouching Tiger" was immensely influential and has even set innovative trend and standard in the field of martial arts films.
Nonetheless, 15 years after its release, much has changed in the landscapes of martial arts cinema, noting that audiences now prefer bigger and more intricate set pieces over natural fight sequences and contained narratives.
