Written by : Joyce Chua
With a star-studded cast and high-octane scenes, Cold War 2, the sequel to the 2012 box-office hit, is set to be this season’s blockbuster movie. The highly anticipated police action-thriller also sees the addition of veteran Chow Yun Fat and Hong Kong actress Janice Man, to the already stellar cast.
Cold War was the highest grossing Hong Kong film in 2012, and raked in US$50 million worldwide. It also swept away nine awards at the 2012 Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Film, Best Director (Longmen Leung, Sunny Luk), Best Actor (Tony Leung), Best New Performer (Alex Tsui), and Best Screenplay.
In a light-hearted press conference on 5 July at Marina Bay Sands, Chow, along with Hong Kong “Heavenly King” Aaron Kwok and Taiwanese hottie Eddie Peng, shared behind-the-scenes tidbits on the filming process, tips on taking a good selfie, as well as his thoughts on the next generation of Asian superstars.
Here are 5 things that went down that day:
1. Chow: “Eddie Peng is representative of the next generation of superstars.”
Looking at Peng, Chow lauds the next generation of actors as promising. “They are exceptionally talented, full of energy, and good-looking. I think they’re ready to be the next batch of successors.”
Peng, 34, whose works include award-winning films like To the Fore (2015), Rise of the Legend (2014), and A Wedding Invitation (2013), in turn said that working with Chow was a dream come true.
He reprises his role in Cold War 2 as a manipulative villain with an IQ of 192, who works with a mysterious kingpin to foil Kwok’s character.
2. Eddie and Aaron are long-time fans of Chow Yun Fat
After Eddie shared a particularly poignant childhood memory about his grandmother bringing him to watch Chow’s movies, Aaron, 50, quipped that his heart would go pitter-patter whenever he had a scene with Chow. “I have been a fan of Chow ever since I was a little boy. Whenever I am around him, my heart starts palpitating,” he said to laughter all around.
When asked what he learned from Chow, Eddie replied, “There’s so much to learn. You guys can see how easy-going he is. More than anything, I learned from him how to get along with everyone, by always being polite and humble.”
3. Chow Yun Fat: the King of Selfies
Despite achieving superstar status with Hollywood movies like Anna and the King (1999) and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007), Chow remains incredibly down-to-earth and good-natured. He even lived up to his recent title of “King of Selfies” by demonstrating his selfie-taking skills with every reporter present.
4. Eddie Peng enjoys playing the villain!
As one of Asia’s fast-rising stars, Eddie said he is grateful for his role in the series as he got to learn from the biggest Asian actors in the world. He particularly embraces the challenge of playing a high-IQ villain.
“Playing a villain, I get to do (illegal) things regular people won’t do,” he said earnestly. “A villain can be charismatic and human, and when played well he can evoke empathy in the audience. The only pressure being in this role is making sure I don’t become invisible next to so many great actors.”
5. Massive turnout at the red carpet event
For the Singapore Star Tour, the press conference was followed by a red carpet appearance at the skating rink and a gala premiere of the film at Sands Theatre. Fans who hail from all around the world (including a girl from California) flew in specially to see their idols! Members of the audience got to take photos with the stars, and some even walked away with prizes including a Longines watch and Cold War 2 paraphernalia.
Cold War 2 airs in cinemas on 8 July. (Having watched it already, I personally guarantee that you’ll be kept on the edge of your seat!)
Psst, want more? Here’s an intimate interview with Eddie Peng, who toggled fluently between English and Mandarin as he answered questions about his upcoming movies and awkward fan encounters!