Three top Chinese actors, Jet Li, Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro are going to cooperate
in director Peter Chan's new movie Ci Ma (The Blood Brothers). The shooting is about to
start by the end of the year in China.
Ci Ma (刺马) literally means Assasination of Ma. This is a famous story set in Qing Dynasty, about the male-bonding, betrayal and revenge between three self-declared brothers, Zhang Wenxiang, Huang Zong, and Ma Xinyi. The three brothers meet when they are bandits and become close friends. After fighting together in the war they reach success within the establishment. Ma is even promoted to be a provincial governor. Attracted to Huang's wife, Ma killed Huang in order to take her. Zhang then decides to confront Ma and the two brothers have a final showdown. The three brothers will be played by Jet Li (Zhang), Andy Lau (Huang), and Kaneshiro (Ma). Who is to play the important female leading role, Huang's wife Mi Lan, is still a mysterous. The name of Xu Jinglei, Shu Qi, Maggie Cheung, Zhou Xun, Zhang Ziyi have been mentioned.
This store, as one of the Four Mysteries of Late Qing Dynasty, has been adapted into Chinese operas and films.
The most famous one is Chang Cheh's Shaw production The Blood Brothers (1973).
Peter Chan, however, denies this is a straight remake of Change Cheh's version.
Chang Cheh's blood-soaking kung-fu version of Ci Ma stars Ti Lung, Chen Kuan Tai,
and David Chiang, which won Ti Lung a Golden Horse Award for Outstanding Performance.
