Hong Kong tragic war film, Saving General Yang <忠烈楊家將>, is finally coming to worldwide cinemas on April 4, 2013! Directed by internationally acclaimed Hong Kong director, Ronny Yu (于仁泰), Saving General Yang tell the story of Song Dynasty general Yang Ye, who is tasked to defend the Northern Song Dynasty of China from the opposing Liao Dynasty of Khitan. Betrayed by court statesman Pan Renmei, Yang falls into enemy hands. Yang’s seven sons, led by eldest son Yang Dalang, infiltrate the Khitan army to save their father, sacrificing themselves in the process. Saving General Yang is based on the traditional Chinese folklore, Generals of the Yang Family, which is itself inspired by a true story. Produced by Raymond Wong (黃百鳴) and distributed by Hong Kong’s Pegasus Motion Pictures, the screenplay of Saving General Yang is helmed by Raymond Wong’s son, Edmond Wong (黃子桓), who is best known for his work on Donnie Yen’s (甄子丹) Ip Man <葉問> trilogy. Ronny Yu, who reached worldwide fame after directing 2003’s Freddy vs. Jason and 2006’s Fearless <霍元甲>, returns to direct Saving General Yang after a seven-year hiatus. With a budget of over $311 million HKD, Saving General Yang is the most expensive production by Pegasus Motion Pictures since its establishment in 2009. The epic motion picture stars an ensemble of popular actors from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and mainland China, including Adam Cheng (鄭少秋) as the great Song general, Yang Ye; Xu Fan (徐帆) as Yang’s wife, She Saihua; and Ekin Cheng (鄭伊健), Yu Bo (于波), Vic Chou (周渝民), Li Chen (李晨), Raymond Lam (林峯), Wu Chun (吳尊), and Fu Xinbo (付辛博) as Yang and She’s seven sons. It took Raymond Wong a bit of convincing to bring Ronny Yu back to the studios. What drew Ronny to direct a story that has already been adapted numerous times before? Filial piety, honor, loyalty, and courage are the main themes explored in Saving General Yang, which were the main attractions that drew Ronny to direct the film. “Besides entertaining the audience, this film can also enlighten the younger generation on what ‘filial piety’ really means. Filial piety never gets old, and is never outdated.” Vic Chou, who portrays the third son, Yang Sanlang, also praised the script. “I was crying when I read the script. The seven Yang brothers are willing to sacrifice themselves to protect their brothers. I really cry each time I read the script.” A 2-minute Chinese trailer was released on Yahoo Hong Kong and Taiwan on February 8. The film will be released worldwide, with the exception of the United States, on April 4, 2013. “Saving General Yang” Trailer [video=youtube;YmC22v3-8uY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YmC22v3-8uY[/video]
