The Hong Kong box office dream team, Johnnie To (杜琪峯), Andy Lau (劉德華) and Sammi Cheng (鄭秀文), reunited for Johnnie To’s forthcoming crime thriller, Blind Detective <盲探>, which commenced filming last October. In June 2012, filming halted after Sammi was diagnosed with Ménière’s disease – a disorder of the inner ear. After two months of recuperation, a refreshed and high-spirited Sammi was seen returning to work in Kowloon Tong last week. The scene involved Sammi driving while chatting with Andy, who portrays a visually impaired detective. Filming went smoothly and the scene was completed within an hour. Blind Detective is Andy and Sammi’s fourth collaboration with Johnnie To, and their seventh collaboration overall. Well known as Hong Kong’s “box office golden duo,” Andy and Sammi’s films in which they starred together have earned over $196 million HKD in the Hong Kong box office. Their films that were directed by Johnnie To, including 2000’s Needing You <孤男寡女>, 2001’s Love on a Diet <瘦身男女>, and 2004’s Yesterday Once More <龍鳳鬥> exceeded $91 million HKD in the box office. Although the film is currently slated for a 2013 release, an official release date has not been decided yet. Johnnie To is known for helming multiple projects simultaneously, and it is unknown when Blind Detective will complete its filming. As of now, only about half of the film has been completed. Andy once expressed that his role in Blind Detective is one the most challenging roles of his career. Chinese Films reported Andy saying, “The character is blind but the director isn’t allowing me to wear shades. The director says ‘cut’ when he thinks my eyes are moving. So we’ve only managed to complete one third of the movie after three months of shooting.” Andy Lau Responds to Possible Collaboration with TVB In related news, a collaboration between Andy and TVB may be possible. Earlier, TVB’s largest shareholder,Charles Chan (陳國強), invited Eric Tsang (曾志偉) to produce a drama for TVB. Eric Tsang has already affirmed that he is indeed working on a script, and has invited Andy to partake in the 30 or 40-episode drama. On August 19th, during an event for the 2012 London Paralympics held in Hong Kong, Andy confirmed the news of his consideration to work with TVB, “If the script is suitable, I will consider!” Andy joked, “Idol dramas are my first choice!” He also stressed that his price will be astronomical, and TVB should be prepared for the challenges. Andy entered TVB in 1981 after graduating from TVB’s 10th Artiste Training Class that same year. He shot to fame after starring in producer Lee Tim Sing’s (李添勝) The Emissary <獵鷹> in 1982, and was promoted as one of TVB’s Five Tigers, a group of five young and popular male television actors that also included Tony Leung (梁朝偉), Felix Wong (黃日華), Michael Miu (苗僑偉), and Kent Tong (湯鎮業). Andy’s most representative work with TVB was 1983’s The Return of the Condor Heroes <神鵰俠侶> and 1984’s The Duke of Mount Deer <鹿鼎記>. Creds: Sina
