[News] “Hua Xu Yin” Director Defends Casting Kevin Cheng.

[News] “Hua Xu Yin” Director Defends Casting Kevin Cheng.
Cr. - jaynestars

The television adaptation of mainland China’s national best-selling novel, Hua Xu Yin <华胥引>, is currently shooting in Zhejiang’s Xiangshan County. Starring Kevin Cheng (鄭嘉穎), Yuan Hong (袁弘), and Jiang Xin (蒋欣), Hua Xu Yin is a tragic fantasy drama that tells the story of a fallen princess who creates beautiful dreams for people in exchange for their lives.

Lee Tat Chiu (李達超), the award-winning action choreographer for Bodyguards and Assassins <十月圍城>, has recently been announced to direct Hua Xu Yin, his directorial debut. Some of Lee’s best known works include the 2003 Hong Kong film Colour of the Truth <黑白森林>, which won Lee a nomination at the 40th Golden Horse Awards for best action choreography. Lee’s work in 2009’s Bodyguards and Assassins won him an award for best action choreography at the 29th Hong Kong Film Award, a win that was shared with Stephen Tung (董瑋). Along with Yuen Woo Ping (袁和平), Lee also worked on Hollywood’s The Matrix film franchise.

Lee is very happy to be able to have a chance to direct Hua Xu Yin as his debut. He gushed at the crew’s professionalism, and expressed that he is impressed at the crew’s dedication and love for their craft.

In regards to fans’ disappointment that the 40-year-old Kevin Cheng was cast as the young Mo Yan, a character in his early twenties, Lee explained, “Television dramas and novels are always different from each other. Take Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan <甄嬛傳> for example. In the novel, the male lead was in his twenties, while in the television adaptation, he was in his forties. Only a mature and composed male lead would be able to control the intrigue and struggles of his everyday life, and can be heedful about the cunning officials and concubines that live with him. In such a setting, I don’t think a young man in his early twenties will able to handle it!”

Lee added, “Similarly, Hua Xu Yin’s Mo Yan is not just a gentle and romantic man. He is also a talented leader, and someone who is able to stand up as a leading figure amidst a world of chaos and power struggle. Again, I don’t think this is something that a 20-year-old boy would be able to do. Kevin Cheng is an excellent actor who can use his eyes to express one’s conflicted inner turmoil, and I believe he will do the role justice!”

Hua Xu Yin is an adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name by Tang Qi Gong Zi (唐七公子), which was published in January 2011. The adaptation is a joint production of Ciwen Media, Tianjin Beifang Film Group, and Tianjin Coastal International Industry.