Teaser site for John Woo's upcoming RED CLIFF.

http://www.redcliff.jp/ 

I have been asked a few times what my next film will be after BLOOD BROTHERS. Recently, HAF has announced 25 projects that they will endorse this year. And one of them is DETOUR, a film I am working on.   DETOUR actually was meant to be my first feature film. It was the first project I worked on with John Woo and Terence Chang’s Lion Rock Productions. We actually prepped the film for a year and was meant to be shot in Bangkok. Needless to say, the film did not push through and I went on to shoot BLOOD BROTHERS.   Still, DETOUR was a project I believed in so we’ve reworked the scrīpt and changed the location. I think the material will be stronger in the end. Aside from this, I am also working on a love story which will be announced very soon.  

Here are some recent press releases:  

From HAF: 25 Film Projects selected for HAF 2008 (17 - 19 March 2008)

25 Exciting New Projects at HAF 2008 The Hong Kong - Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) has announced its 2008 selection of 25 Asian film projects. The co-production market aims to bring together regional filmmakers and international financiers in its continuing effort to facilitate co-productions and co-ventures. The 2008 event will see returning veterans and emerging filmmakers from across Asia sharing the spotlight.

Now in its 6th edition, the pivotal co-production market for Asian films has always been a magnet to world-renowned, as well as fledgling, filmmakers. HAF 2008 features directors such as Nakata Hideo(Japan), the internationally acclaimed director of the Ring series, who also helmed the Hollywood remake of Ring 2; Park Chan-wook of Old Boy (Korea), winner of the Jury Grand Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004; 2003 Silver Bear Award winner, Li Yang (Chinese Mainland), director of Blind Shaft and Blind Mountain; Cai Shangjun (Chinese Mainland), whose debut feature The Red Awn won the FIPRESCI Prize at the 2007 Pusan International Film Festival; and Brillante Mendoza (The Philippines), who garnered international attention with his Foster Child at Cannes, Directors' Fortnight, in 2007. From the host territory of Hong Kong come three of its new generation of auteurs, Pang Ho-cheung (Isabella, Exodus), Alexi Tan (Blood Brothers) and Carol Lai Miu-suet (Naraka 19, Floating Landscape). 

From Sina: 于每年香港影视博览会上举行的香港亚洲电影投资会(简称HAF)是亚洲导演的新片集中招商引资的机会，举办五年来，成功为近百部导演新作创造了拍摄契机，其中包括李杨(李杨吧)的《盲山()》(盲山吧)、张杨(张杨吧)的《落叶归根》(落叶归根吧)、宁浩(宁浩吧)的《银牌车手》、陆川(blog,陆川吧)的《南京！南京！》(南京！南京！吧)等。在近日公布的HAF2008年25个新片入围计划中，不仅有李杨、宁浩、彭浩翔(blog,彭浩翔吧)等年轻导演的新作，还体现出王家卫(王家卫吧)、吴宇森(吴宇森吧)、李安(李安吧)等大导演前两年相继提出的扶植新锐导演的计划。 　　

在今年的HAF入围计划中，可以看到宁浩在完成《银牌车手》后又在筹拍新片《七宗梦》。对于此次入围，宁浩表示：“不能忘记，在我还是一个新导演的时候，就得到了HAF的帮助，让我认识了刘德华()(听歌,刘德华吧)，让我的《疯狂的石头》(blog,疯狂的石头吧)得以启动。”此外，内地导演李杨的《盲流》、蔡尚君的《漂流的年代》、香港导演彭浩翔的《公车》、韩国导演奉俊昊的《母亲》、易智言的《明星咖啡厅》均在列HAF这次的新片计划。HAF的总监王庆锵非常高兴地表示：“今年的25个计划包括了许多才华横溢的亚洲导演，如韩国的朴赞郁和奉俊昊、日本的中田秀夫、中国的宁浩等，看到他们不断涌现的创作力，我们真的感到鼓舞。” 　　在今年的HAF入围名单中，几位年轻导演的新片都出现了有分量的监制。去年推出《天堂口》(天堂口吧)的香港年轻导演陈奕利今年将继续在张家振的监制下筹拍《大塞车》。侯季然等台湾三位新导演联合执导的《上上》(暂名)将由李安的弟弟李岗担任监制。王家卫的泽东公司承担了英国年轻导演理查·乔布森的新片《血线》的联合投资工作，王家卫的老搭档彭绮华还将担任监制。早报记者 刘嘉琦

To answer some queries about the film's US screening. There is a planned screening in Chicago at the Gene Siskel Film Center in February. Will post the dates when it is confirmed. Aside from that Blood Brothers was picked up by First Look Studios for US distribution. Here is the original Screen Daily article from a while back:

First Look takes US rights to Blood Brothers
Liz Shackleton  in Santa Monica
02 Nov 2007 06:02

 
First Look Studios has acquired US rights to John Woo and Terence Chang-produced Blood Brothers, which is being sold by Fortissimo Films.

The $10m gangster noir closed this year's Venice Film Festival and features a top Asian cast including Daniel Wu, Chang Chen, Liu Ye and Shu Qi. Directed by Woo protégé and first-time director Alexi Tan, the Chinese-language production also screened in official selection at this year's Toronto and Pusan.

The US deal was negotiated by Fortissimo co-chairman Michael J. Werner and senior vice president, sales and acquisitions, Winnie Lau and First Look executive vice president, acquisitions, Gary Hirsch.

Set in 1930s Shanghai, Blood Brothers tells the story of three young men who leave their village in search of a better life and get sucked into the city's criminal underworld.

"Blood Brothers reminds me of such classic gangster films as Once Upon A Time In America. It evokes an era in China few Americans have seen," said First Look's Hirsch.

"Gary and the entire First Look team showed us their passion and dedication that convinced us and our producers to put Blood Brothers in their capable hands," said Werner. "With the Beijing Olympics coming and the enhanced awareness around Chinese cinema that will follow, we are looking forward to a strong success for the film in the US."

Fortissimo originally acquired worldwide sales rights from the film's producers – Woo and Chang's Lion Rock Productions and Taiwan 's CMC Entertainment.

Photos: Cast of Blood Brothers from a photo shoot for VANITY FAIR.

  After a gruelling eight month shoot, John Woo will be wrapping RED CLIFF this month. It is the movie to watch for 2008. Here is the original Variety article: BEIJING -- When "Red Cliff" filmmakers look over the edge, they can finally see the finish line. After a production schedule blasted by thesp-scheduling issues and appalling weather, the biggest Chinese movie of all time is now substantially in the can, although some shooting on the John Woo-helmed pic will continue until February. Terence Chang, the pic's producer and Woo's partner in Lion Rock Entertainment, says shooting officially wrapped Nov. 30, but some second unit work remained to be done, and he doubted the pic would be ready in time for Cannes next year. "We'll deliver it in May, but maybe it won't be quite ready. ... It's been a long shoot but we're in pretty good shape," Chang says. "Red Cliff" is Woo's first Chinese-language effort after years in Hollywood helming projects such as "Broken Arrow," "Face/Off" and "Mission: Impossible 2." With a budget of $80 million, "Cliff" is the most expensive movie ever made in Asia, with funding coming entirely from independent producers in the region -- China's China Film, CMC Entertainment in Taiwan, Avex in Japan and South Korea's Showbox. This story is based on part of the classic Chinese novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms." Set in the final days of the Han Dynasty, in the year 208, it covers the war that established the Three Kingdoms period, when China had three rulers. The production has been dogged by difficulties, many of them weather-related -- torrential rains washed away part of an outdoor set in Hebei in northern China -- but some linked to the myriad personnel changes on the film. In March, Tony Leung Chiu-wai ("Lust, Caution") dropped out of the pic. At the time, he says he felt unable to commit to the six-month shoot "Red Cliff" demanded, and he was replaced by Takeshi Kaneshiro. Soon afterwards, close Woo ally Chow Yun-fat ankled. The circumstances of Chow's departure remain mysterious -- Chinese media say it was because of unreasonable demands by the thesp and conditions that completion bond company CineFinance could not accept. Chow countered, saying the same firm bonded him twice before with the same requirements. It came as a shock, given that Woo made Chow a legend -- establishing him as Hong Kong's Robert De Niro in movies such as the 1986 pic "A Better Tomorrow" and "Hard Boiled." Then, two days after Chow ankled, Leung was back in the lineup as lead actor, replacing Chow. The remaining cast includes Zhang Fengyi, Chiling Lin, Chang Chen, Vicky Zhao and Hu Jun. CineFinance became involved in the production, but Cheng denies speculation that the completion bond company had taken over the picture. There have also been rumors of deaths on the set, which Cheng rejects. "That's the first I've heard of it," he says. "Red Cliff" is written as a four-hour film. For Asian territories, the pic is to be split into two parts, with the first released in July in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea, and October in Japan. Auds outside Asia will get a single movie, expected to clock in at 2½ hours, coinciding with the release of the second part in Asia in December next year. Repped in international territories by L.A.-based Summit Entertainment, the pic was widely sold at Berlin's European Film Market, but still has no North American distributors. "I don't want to discuss sales until I have a film to show," Chang says. 

Blood Brothers DVD has been released in HK. Please check it out.