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CJ7

Specs

Distributor: Sony Pictures
Produced by: Stephen Chow’s Star Overseas in association with China Film Group
Director / Writer: Stephen Chow
Writer / Producer: Vincent Kok
Cast: Xu Jiao, Stephen Chow, Kitty Zhang, Lee Sheung Ching, Fun Min Hun, Huang Lei, Yao Wen Xue, Han Yong Wua, Lam Tze Chung, Hu Qian Lin
Writer: Tsang Kan Cheong, Sandy Shaw Lai-King, Fung Chih Chiang, Lam Fung
Director of Photography: Poon Hang Sang
Visual Effects: Menfond Electronic Art & Computer Design Co. Ltd.
Duration: 88 minutes
Category: IIA
Theatre Line-up: TBA
Release Date: January 31 2008

Synopsis

The latest comedy from Stephen Chow, CJ7 is a fantasy tale featuring state of the art visual effects. A poor laborer father (Chow) and his young son's lives are turned upside down when a fascinating and strange new pet enters their world. Amid the resulting comic mayhem, they ultimately learn a poignant lesson about the true nature of family and the things money can't buy.

About the Production

CJ7 is the latest comedy feature from director and star Stephen Chow following his worldwide hit, “Kung Fu Hustle.” “Kung Fu Hustle,” the second highest grossing film in Hong Kong history after “Titanic”, was nominated for a Golden Globe, and won a total of 5 awards, including Best Film and Best Director, at Asia's equivalent of the Oscars, the Golden Horse Awards. CJ7 marks the second collaboration between Sony Pictures Entertainment and Chow's Star Overseas, following “Kung Fu Hustle”.

Featuring the trademark Chow slapstick humor, CJ7 is a comedy about a poor laborer father, Ti, played by Stephen Chow, and his young son, Dicky. When a fascinating and strange new pet enters their lives, Dicky, an elementary school student, sees a chance to overcome his poor background and shabby clothes and impress his fellow students for the first time in his life. The “pet” however has other ideas and when Dicky brings it to class, comedic chaos erupts including a showdown with the terrifying school bully, Storm Dragon!

Chow's inspiration for the story started over twenty years ago when as a young man he saw Steven Spielberg's “E.T.” at the theatre. “I went back to see “E.T.” over and over again,” Stephen Chow reveals, “and was amazed that science fiction could be filmed like this! I knew then that I wanted to make a movie like that. Steven Spielberg's work inspired me to become a director.” Always an original, Chow admits that CJ7 is a slight departure from his previous comedies: “This type of story is new to Chinese movies but I hope audiences will like it.”

Finding “Dicky Chow”…

Also a new first for Stephen Chow is having a child actor as his main co-star. Newcomer, 9 year-old actress Xu Jiao plays Dicky Chow. Stephen Chow elaborated on the concept of casting a child actor in a main role: ”I have had a lot of experience working with children throughout my career, since my early days as the host of a children's television program, and there is not much difference between casting a child or an adult. It all comes down to talent and whether or not they can capture the character. The most important thing for me was to find “Dicky Chow.”

The character of Dicky Chow is a high spirited elementary school student with a mischievous streak. Although from a poor family, Dicky is proud of his background and the values that his father has instilled in him. Wanting the best for his son, Ti, works overtime to pay for the expensive tuition at Dicky's exclusive academy, but he earns little with his laborer's wages and is in debt after borrowing money from his Boss. Rough around the edges, Ti is however extremely dedicated to Dicky's upbringing, often reminding Dicky to be proud of his poor background. He desperately wants Dicky to grow up to make something of his life, rather than have to do menial labor work like himself. His father reminds him often that: “…we may be poor, but we don't lie, and we don't steal...” Director and writer Stephen Chow's own childhood values are echoed in the character of Dicky. “This is what I learned from my own parents,” he confirmed.

Stephen Chow elaborated on the casting process: “After I had completed the screenplay, I began to look for the perfect actor who could capture the character in the original story script. When I first saw Xu Jiao, I instantly knew that she was perfect for the part. I was amazed by both her personality and performance. Xu is a natural actor and a genius.”

Finding the right person to play Dicky Chow, however, was not easy. In an effort to find a youngster who could carry the role and, most importantly, who had natural comedic flair, the producers scoured the major cities of China including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, as well as the smaller towns such as Hangzhou and Ningpo. The casting search started in February of 2005 and went on until August of 2006 right up to the start of production. Associate Producer Connie Wong described the search: “Once we had a draft of the script for CJ7, we started looking all over China. We searched regular schools, martial arts schools, acting schools and schools with special talent programs in search of a strong actor to play the character of Dicky Chow. Ultimately, we auditioned almost 10,000 kids."

Xu Jiao stands out…

Connie Wong continued: “While we were in Ningpo, we heard from the AD that a young girl, named Xu Jiao, had done an outstanding audition for the role of Dicky. We really thought that Xu Jiao's performance matched Dicky Chow's mature personality. On top of that's she's not at all timid and her acting is so natural, so we decided to cast her in the role.” On casting a girl in the role of the young boy, Connie Wong elaborated: “Thousands of boys auditioned, but we couldn't find one that came close to Dicky Chow's personality. While we were auditioning the girls for some of the other characters, we found that they were more natural than the boys and so that gave us the idea of having a girl play Dicky. Xu Jiao ultimately brought the character to life with her performance.”

Young Xu Jiao, then only 8 years-old, won the part of Dicky Chow. She describes the character of Dicky Chow in her own words as “very lovable, a little mischievous, but kindhearted and real.” Although she had done one commercial, Xu Jiao had never acted in a film before. “I only found out about my character on the first day of shooting,” she confided. “The character of Dicky was incredible but I initially thought that it was going to be a small role. I couldn't believe that Director Chow would trust me, as a first-time actress, with such an important character in the film. I never imagined having an experience like this.”

Becoming the character of “Dicky Chow” had its challenges for the novice actress. “As a girl it wasn't easy to play a rough and rambunctious boy,” Xu Jiao admitted. Also, unlike her character, Dicky, Xu Jiao is a very good student and her Class President in real life, but she admits there are some similarities between her and her character: “I can be a bit mischievous too, like Dicky!” Also like Dicky, Xu Jiao sometimes wishes she had “special powers.” “If there is something I can't do, no matter how hard I try, I wish I had magical powers that would allow me to do what I wanted in the blink of an eye!”

Playing the part of Dicky also meant one major sacrifice in her transformation to the character of a boy: “I was very sad when I had to cut off my long hair - I wasn't prepared for that!” Xu Jiao admitted.

On set, the young Xu Jiao had some unforgettable moments in scenes involving the trademark slapstick comedy that are the hallmark of Stephen Chow films. “The most memorable experience for me was when I had to be sprayed down with the high pressure hoses. The weather was quite cold and the water was absolutely freezing!” Xu Jiao also had a lot of fun on set and described her favorite part of the shoot. “It was the scene where I am in the closet beating against the door - that was the most fun for me.” The young actress' natural comedic ability shone through as she held her own opposite her co-star Stephen Chow, considered Asia's number one comedy star.

Working with director Stephen Chow made a great impression on the young actress. “I learned a lot from Director Chow during the production. It was his determination and commitment to his work, as well as his sense of responsibility that most impressed me,” said Xu Jiao.

After her film debut in CJ7, Xu Jiao stated: “I definitely want to continue to act and I am very grateful to Director Chow for giving me such a wonderful opportunity.”

Teacher's pet….

Dicky Chow is constantly being bullied by the other kids at the academy for having worn out clothes and shoes, in addition to being picked on by his own teacher, Mr. Cao. But Dicky has one champion at the academy and that is the beautiful and kind-hearted Miss Yuen, played by newcomer Kitty Zhang, who takes Dicky under her wing.

Kitty Zhang describes the character of Miss Yuen in her own words: “Compared to the other characters in the film, she is really quite ordinary, not at all pretentious or dramatic in any way. She cares greatly for her students and treats them all equally, whether they are rich or poor. She has a good heart and is the ideal teacher but underneath is still a sensitive and outgoing young woman.”

Kitty was able to find some common ground with her character. She explained: “I was attracted to the role by her very good heart. Some people might think that's too idealistic but I believe everyone is born with a good heart, some people just hide it rather well or aren't even aware of it themselves. I was also attracted to the noble side of her character. She thinks the best in others can be brought out by believing the best of them, as with Dicky.”

Being a young actress herself, Kitty Zhang didn't have to look back very far to her own schooling to find examples of teachers she could draw on for the character. “I didn't need to do much preparation for the part as I was lucky enough to have known many excellent teachers when I was at school so I just closed my eyes and visualized how they behaved and what they did for the students.” She adds modestly, “I think everyone knows how to play a good teacher.”

On working with her fellow child actors, she commented. “I don't think I am the only one who enjoys spending time with a group of children. This is the first time that I have worked with kids and it was the most relaxing job I have ever had!”

She continued, “It's mainly because they are so easy to get along with. Kids are really simple, if you are nice to them and I mean really nice, because they know the difference, then they will include you in their group and you can play with them. They made our crew members feel at least 20 years younger!”

On working with the director and her fellow co-star, Stephen Chow, for the first time, Kitty Zhang commented: “It was delightful working with Mr. Chow. He runs a very relaxed set. Sometimes we didn't even feel we were on a shoot. It almost felt like there was no camera on us. We would just chat happily about the kids.”

Kitty Zhang describes her hopes on how the audience will feel when they see the film: “…that we weren't acting but that it's us in real life…in fact, it's really a universal story.”

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education…Mark Twain

Not all the teachers at the academy, however, appreciate Dicky's special charms. Mr. Cao, the acrimonious disciplinarian of the academy is hated by the students and not liked much better by the other teachers. Determined to protect the school's image of exclusivity, he is highly critical of the students' appearance and particularly picks on Dicky for his shabby clothes and poor background.

Lee Sheung Ching, who plays Mr. Cao, describes his character in his own words “Mr. Cao is an intellectual who believes in elitist education. He despises students who have poor grades, are unclean, and don't have any talent. He is however, a very straightforward person who makes his feelings and displeasure known, u nfortunately mostly to Dicky Chow.”

Lee Sheung Ching described how he approached the role of Mr. Cao: “I tried to imagine what goes through the mind of a teacher and how he feels towards the students in the classroom. Of course, sometimes if a teacher is stressed out with the coursework, he/she may not have a chance to express themselves. Mr. Cao is actually very sensitive and when it comes to his students, he has a lot of feelings, opinions, and prejudices. In other words, he really does care in his own way.”

Playing the role of the teacher meant Lee Sheung Ching had to work primarily with his child co-stars. “This was a very interesting experience, because I saw how the children were able to get into their roles so easily. It seemed to be a much simpler process for them to “be” in character, and act naturally. Perhaps it is because children have not yet developed a strong sense of “self.” I learned something from this experience. When you're acting, you cannot think of yourself as an actor, you just have to become your character.”

As Mr. Cao, Lee Sheung Ching faced some unusual challenges…“The hardest scene for me was the scene where I had to pick my nose. At first, I was full of confidence with my nose-picking skills, but after talking with the director, I discovered that he had taken the act of nose-picking to a whole other level. This act turns social status and identity upside down, then you add in a bit of fantasy mixed with special effects, and you have an instant classic!” jokes Lee Sheung Ching.

Lee Sheung Ching hopes that audiences will take a positive message away from the film, “…that life is full of hope, and if you truly experience life, you'll find that it's often much more interesting than in the movies!”

The Boss…

Regular Stephen Chow collaborator, Lam Tze Chung who previously starred as the sidekick to Stephen Chow's character, Sing, in “King Fu Hustle”, plays the “Boss” in CJ7. From the same hometown as Ti (Stephen Chow), the Boss is a tough guy with a loud voice, which he uses to yell mostly at Ti.

Lam Tze Chung describes his character in his own words: “The Boss is someone we see a lot in real life. He may not have an education or manners, but he has a good heart and ultimately he stands up for what is right.”

Having never personally experienced working in a labor job, Lam Tze Chung prepared for the role by observing people at work. “When I was in China, I studied people who were similar to my character. Once, in Shanghai, I saw a man fixing his bicycle on the side of the road, and I watched him for a whole day. He was very similar to the character of the Boss.”

Playing the character was not as simple as it first appeared. “It's not that easy to play the Boss,” Lam Tze Chung explains, “because how he behaves and the way he feels is ultimately very different so it took quite a lot of skill to bring him to life and show both sides of his character.”

Lam Tze Chung who is also a director in his own right discussed how working on CJ7 with Stephen Chow differed from his previous experience working with the director and his close friend. “The main difference was that this time I was only responsible for acting and joking around with Stephen!” he laughed. “Actually, I didn't have to do a lot of thinking or mulling over the script so I just focused on my character.”

Visual FX

Another trademark of a Stephen Chow film is the cutting edge visual effects. For CJ7, Stephen Chow selected the leading Hong Kong based visual effects company, Menfond Electronic Arts, to create the visual effects. Visual fx supervisor, Eddy Wong from Menfond Electronic Arts, described the process of bringing Stephen Chow's artist vision to the screen. “We met Mr. Chow after he saw our work on the live action feature “Initial D” and “A Chinese Tall Story”” Eddy Wong continued: “Our job was to employ the latest technology available to translate Mr. Chow's vision to the screen. This involved many meetings with him to discuss his vision, and then we created preliminary sketches so we could help visualize the images that he had described to us.” Over a period of two years Eddy Wong and his team worked to develop the visual effects and character design with the director. “We provided more than 1000 color sketches during this process,” Eddy Wong explained. “The most challenging part was obviously creating the creature itself. For this, we developed what we call the “Fur system.” With the help of a foreign fur expert, our in-house R&D team developed this state-of-the-art system specifically for CJ7.”

STEPHEN CHOW Director, Producer, Writer

CJ7 is the fifth feature directed by Stephen Chow, Asia's number one comedy star and one of the region's most beloved entertainers. His previous feature “Kung Fu Hustle” was the second highest grossing film in Hong Kong history after “Titanic”. Chow made his directorial debut with “God of Cookery” in 1996, followed by “King of Comedy” in 1999, both of which he also wrote and starred in. In 2001 Chow directed, wrote, and starred in “Shaolin Soccer”, the fourth highest grossing film of all time at the Hong Kong box office which also broke box office records across Asia. “Shaolin Soccer” went on to win seven major awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Actor, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Sound Design and Best Visual Effects.

Stephen Chow has starred in more than 50 films, but it was the success of 2001's “Shaolin Soccer” that lifted him to a level of stardom occupied by only a handful of others in the region. Like “Kung Fu Hustle,” Chow also wrote, directed and starred in “Shaolin Soccer.” Though a Hong Kong-produced film, “Shaolin Soccer” broke box office records across Asia, including the non-Chinese speaking countries such as Japan and South Korea.

A native of Hong Kong, Stephen Chow was one of three children in what he describes as a “very poor family.” He grew up as a Bruce Lee fan and a martial arts fanatic, but he remembers that as a child his own kung fu training had to stop after six weeks when his family could no longer afford lessons.

Chow started his entertainment career as the host of a TV children's show, “430 Space Shuttle”. He quickly made a name for himself with his witty style, but it was not until 1989 that he began acting in films.

In 1989, in the movie “Final Justice”, he played a supporting role, which won him the best supporting actor award at the Taipei Golden Horse Awards and established him in the Hong Kong film world. The key turning point in his career came only a year later, when he had his first starring role in the 1990 Chow Yun-Fat spoof “All for the Winner”. In this movie, Chow's unique and hilarious onscreen persona - playing his first in a series of lovable underdogs - made him a overnight sensation in Hong Kong and throughout Asia. Asian film observers also say that in that film Chow gave birth to the “Mo Lei Tau” (“nonsense”) comedy style, now considered a fully established genre of Hong Kong comedy.

Since “All for the Winner,” Chow has gradually but firmly established himself as Hong Kong's comedy king. Among his 50 some movies, “Justice My Foot” won him the best actor award at the 1992 Asian Pacific Film Awards, and “A Chinese Odyssey” won him the best actor award at the 1996 Hong Kong Critics Society Awards as well as at the Hong Kong Golden Bauhinia Film Awards.

With “God of Cookery” in 1996, his first directorial effort, which he also wrote and produced, in addition to starring, Chow entered a new era of his film career, in which his full talents as a filmmaker began to blossom. After the huge success of “God of Cookery,” he made “King of Comedy” in 1999, which he also wrote, starred in, and directed. A charming story about a movie extra meeting the star of his dreams, “King of Comedy” earned Chow lavish praise from American writer-director-actor Quentin Tarantino, who describes Chow as the best actor in Hong Kong.

In 2001 Chow directed, wrote, produced and starred in “Shaolin Soccer,” which brought him to yet another peak in his career. A story combining martial arts, Chow's lifelong passion, and soccer, one of the most popular sports in the world, “Shaolin Soccer” quickly became the fourth highest-grossing film of all time in Hong Kong. “Shaolin Soccer” won seven major awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Actor, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Sound Design and Best Visual Effects.

Stephen Chow's Star Overseas recently produced the feature “Jump” starring Kitty Zhang, directed by Stephen Fung, part of a new multi-feature collaboration between Star Overseas and Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia, under which Sony Pictures Releasing International will distribute the features worldwide.

Stephen Chow will next produce the major live-action feature film version of the hugely popular Japanese Manga comic feature “Dragonball.”

About the cast

KITTY ZHANG Miss Yuen - Following CJ7, Kitty Zhang went into production with the starring role in “Jump”, a comedy produced by Star Overseas, and directed by Stephen Fung. Prior to that she shot two feature films: “Midnight Shanghai”, a PRC film, in which she guest starred, and the major Japanese feature “Shaolin Girl”, scheduled for release in late April 2008, produced by Stephen Chow and Chihiro Kameyama. In 2005 Ms Zhang has also appeared on the television series “Phoenix on Fire,” and “Super Teacher.”

LAM TZE CHUNG Boss - An up-and-coming young actor, Lam Tze Chung, made his first major screen appearance in Stephen Chow's hit “Shaolin Soccer.” Since then, he has been a regular Stephen Chow collaborator, starring as the sidekick to Stephen Chow's character, Sing, in “King Fu Hustle.” Lam Tze Chung has also appeared in a number of other features including “Dance of a Dream” (2001), starring Andy Lau Tak -Wah and Anita Mui Yim-Fong; and director Raymond Yip Wai-man's “Beauty and the Beast” (2001) and “Women from Mars.” He directed a feature film in 2006 “I Will Call You” (2006).Lam Tze Chung joined Stephen Chow's company Star Overseas in 1999, and holds the title of production manager. He is also a screenwriter, director, and TV host.

Special thanks: Golden Scene