The 2009 acclaimed Hong Kong film, Bodyguards and Assassins <十月圍城>, will be adapted into a Chinese television drama. Mainland China’s Bona Film Group earlier announced that they are currently in the process of making a television serial drama that will be adapted from Teddy Chan’s (陳德森) award-winning martial arts film, Bodyguards and Assassins. The television adaptation will center on the poor rickshaw puller Deng Sidi, a character whom was previously portrayed by Nicholas Tse (謝霆鋒) in the film. Bodyguards and Assassins take place in the early 1900s, amidst the collapse of the Qing Dynasty. Empress Dowager Cixi sends group of assassins to kill Sun Wen (later known as Sun Yat Sen), who intends to go to Hong Kong to discuss about overthrowing the imperial empire with his Chinese Revolutionary Alliance members. A group of rebels in Hong Kong work together to protect Sun at all costs. Deng Sidi himself sacrificed his life to get the Sun decoy to safety when the assassins attacked. The television adaptation of Bodyguards and Assassins will be produced by Yu Dong (于冬) and directed by Hong Kong director, Guk Gaau Leung (鞠覺亮). The production company has a set budget of 3 million RMB per episode. Bona Film Group earlier released a poll online in selecting an actor to portray the main lead, Deng Sidi. Wallace Chung (鍾漢良), Nicholas Tse, and Wen Zhang (文章) became the top three candidates. Producer Yu Dong expressed that Guk had already recommended Wallace Chung to portray the male lead before the poll was released. Guk and Wallace have worked together in 2004’s Treacherous Waters <逆水寒> and 2006’s The Patriotic Knights <俠骨丹心>. It took nearly half a month of negotiation before Wallace Chung accepted the role. The actor is currently busy filming Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils <天龍八部>, a television drama adapted from the wuxia novel of the same name. Yu Dong announced that filming will roughly begin after Wallace Chung’s Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils obligations are over. Award-winning art director Qian Yunxuan and 1911 <辛亥革命> costume designer Chen Minzheng were hired to compose the drama’s art direction. “With a fantastic crew like this, Bodyguards and Assassins will be 2014’s biggest drama!” said Yu Dong. Creds: QQ
