Hong Kong action-thriller Twilight of the Warriors is a film that has been embraced by those who were lucky enough to see it at Cannes. Based on the novel City of Darkness by Yuyi and the graphic novel of the same name by Andy Seto, the film is set to hit US theaters August 9.
The Nerds of Color had the chance to attend the red carpet opening of the highly anticipated actioner and talk to Philip Ng, who plays the maniacal Wuxia superhuman King.
In the film, the notorious Kowloon Walled City serves as a fortified, lawless safe haven for gangs and refugees alike. When Chan Lok-kwan (Raymond Lam), a refugee who takes sauncturay in the walled city after running afoul with a triad led by Mr. Big (Sammo Hung) and King (Philip Ng), he brings his troubles with him which creates chaos within and expedites the imminent demolition of the city.
King’s unpredictable personality, flashy sense of style, and maniacal laugh can best be compared to that of the Joker. Not only that, but he can fight. He’s seemingly impervious to any damage or injury, making him nearly superhuman and being a Wuxia master brings an added flair.
At the red carpet, I asked him about the mental preperation that goes into a film of this size and scale.
It’s the same as when I do any movie, because when I signed on to this movie, I just thought, it’s a it’s a kung fu movie. I’m playing an antagonist and other than creating a character that’s memorable, I didn’t think anything beyond that.
So same preparation, because I didn’t have to do any particular martial arts styles, I mean, that I wasn’t familiar with. So it was just, mainly, just general calisthenics, weight training, flexibility and making my sure my body is able to handle the rigorous amount of choreography that we have to perform during the movie. But you know, overall, I think I’m very happy to have had this experience.
So is it true what they say about playing villains that it is more fun to play them than it is the hero?
Oh, it’s definitely, I would have to say it’s more fun. I’ve made over 40 productions, and I can say this is probably one of the most fun I’ve had on a movie set. First of all, you need to have a director that you trust a lot. And Soi [Cheang ]is a wonderful director, and I trust him immensely. So when you trust the director immensely, you’re able to be more free in your decisions, and especially with someone like King, who’s an antagonist. You have a lot of room to expand and create the character because it’s an antagonist. You don’t have to protect the character, and you can pretty much do anything you want, but you still need a director to guide you the real you’re in when you’re going too far, and tell you expand when it’s not enough.
Finally, we asked about his thoughts on pineapple on pizza.
I don’t mind it, but it’s not my preference.
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In opens in theaters on August 9, 2024.
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