18 Thursday, November 22, 2018 LIFE CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION HEADING FOR THE DEEP END

An upcoming superhero film ranging from giant sea horses and fierce sharks to black creates an underwater universe manta rays, gigantic crabs and huge turtles. “This is a movie that we for viewers, Xu Fan reports. would not have been able to make five years ago,” Wan oo­hoo!” earlier than the rest of the says. “But now, we used this With this world. technique called ‘dry­for­wet’, a t y p i c a l In the past, such a tentpole which is to film the actors in a greeting, would usually come to China blue­screen environment aft­ “WUS actor Jason Momoa strides after being released in other er putting them in contrap­ into the room in a downtown countries, or be released in tions to simulate floating Beijing hotel. Alongside him is China at the same time as in underwater.” director James Wan and the United States. Heard, who plays Mera, actress Amber Heard. Following his appearance says she trained six days a As China will be the first as Aquaman in the 2016 film, Top: Jason Momoa headlines the titular role of Aquaman, the latest superhero film adapted from DC Comics books. week for more than four country in the world to see Batman v Superman: Dawn of Above left: Momoa appears in Beijing on Nov 18 to promote the film, which will premiere in China two weeks earlier than in North America. months. She was clad in a Warner Brothers’ and DC Justice, and the 2017 ensem­ Above right: (From left) Actress Amber Heard, Momoa and director James Wan hold statues of carp, a symbol of fortune and luck, at the skin­tight suit and had to act Entertainment’s latest $160 ble, Justice League, the Beijing event. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY on an empty film set that million superhero film, Aqua­ 1.93­meter­tall Momoa repri­ looked like an airline hangar. man, the stars arrived in the ses his role of the king of the Meanwhile, as fans await Middle Kingdom’s capital to seven seas in the upcoming Honolulu, Hawaii, and edu­ lighthouse keeper and a acter that is really popular in roes, such as the Monkey the breathtaking underwater start their global promotion film. cated in Iowa, where he former queen from Atlantis, pop culture but has never had King from the 16th­century duels, there’s another “battle” tour. His biggest challenge while majored in marine biolo­ the fictional underwater civi­ the opportunity to have a life novel, Journey to the West, looming off­screen. This tour exemplifies how making the movie, he says, gy, says he has a deep connec­ lization, Arthur Curry, aka of its own on from a cinematic thanks to his grandparents. Over the past decade, Mar­ Hollywood values China — the was “just staying fit and not tion with the ocean. Aquaman, struggles with his standpoint.” One of his biggest challen­ vel superheroes have grossed world’s second­largest movie getting too injured”. Aquaman is one of the most identity. He’s trapped between Wan, who is known for The ges while shooting Aquaman nearly 13 billion yuan ($1.9 market that many industry Speaking about why he enduring superheroes in DC two worlds — the land and the Conjuring franchise and Furi­ initially was to build an billion), and Venom is now insiders estimate will over­ likes the Aquaman role, he Comics’ history. His origin sto­ ocean. But he has to step for­ ous 7, is considered one of the underwater kingdom — a ruling in domestic theaters. take the current top dog, the points to the action sequences ry has been treated differently ward to lead his people in the most promising Asian faces in world scarcely featured on So, will the comparatively United States, in a few years. and adds that the nontradi­ over the years. deep sea with the assistance of Hollywood. So, it’s quite a sur­ the silver screen. But what lackluster DC superheroes Aquaman is slated to be tional hero, who embodies The half­human, half­At­ Mera, an Atlantean woman, prise to his actors when he was at first an obstacle soon now overcome their powerful released in China on Dec 7, many taboos, has a distinct lantean figure, who can talk to who becomes Aquaman’s says that the Beijing event became an opportunity as it rivals in China? two weeks earlier than in personality. He also says that fish, debuted in 1941. But the wife. marks his first visit to China. gave Wan and the design It’s a question for superhe­ North America. his character is the kind of guy new movie is based on the Speaking about the film, The 41­year­old of Chinese­ team lots of creative freedom. roes to answer. And it marks the first time who will probably punch Bat­ Aquaman comic series done Wan, the Australian director Malaysian descent also says This is evident in the that domestic viewers will man in the face if he gets mad. by Geoff Johns since 2011. born in Malaysia, says: “It’s that he is fascinated by Chi­ recently released trailers that Contact the writer at watch a DC superhero epic Momoa, who was born in In the film, the son of a super exciting to adapt a char­ nese mythological superhe­ show spectacular creatures, [email protected] Hollywood director hopes to inspire new Chinese talent

By XU FAN it and sat down to be sur­ even without a completed the highest­grossing film in rounded by obliging assist­ script, and he used the new­ the series until the 2003 Renny Harlin “became” a ants before bellowing out the found skill to fund his first fea­ release of Freddy vs. Jason. director when he was just 7 signal to start rolling: ture­length film, Born The success earned him a years old. “Action!” American — which, at the foothold in Hollywood, bring­ Today, he’s one of the most “At that moment I realized time, became the most expen­ ing bigger opportunities, such commercially successful Finn­ that’s what a film director is, sive film ever made in Finland. as a chance to direct Alien 3, ish directors in Hollywood. and it was the only thing I However, it was a tough although he ended up quitting Harlin established his fame in wanted to do,” he says. road. Unable to choke back the project over creative differ­ the late 1980s, thanks to such “It was not because he (Sie­ tears, Harlin recalls that he ences. action blockbusters as Cliff­ gel) was so cool. It was because and a friend borrowed around Harlin’s cache continued to hanger, starring Sylvester I realized that, as a director, $500,000 to recruit a giant rise, however, as he found him­ Stallone, and Die Hard 2, star­ you have the power to lead a star, who failed to show up as self working with Hollywood ring Bruce Willis. group of talented people to scheduled, despite the fact stars like Bruce Willis in Die However, the 59­year­old create great entertainment.” that they’d prepared every­ Hard 2 and Samuel Jackson veteran, who has lived in Chi­ Against the wishes of his thing at the location, which and Geena Davis in The Long na since 2014, had a somewhat parents, who had hoped he had been expensive to rent. Kiss Goodnight. tough, self­made start. would become a doctor or an “We were sitting in my In 2014, Harlin directed the Harlin delivered a detailed architect, Harlin painstaking­ friend’s basement, crying. His Jackie Chan action flick, Skip­ account of his past struggles ly worked through a two­week wife was throwing all her trace, for which he traveled during a recent master class examination — eventually out­ shoes at me, roaring: ‘Renny across half of China with hosted by the China Film performing hundreds of rivals Harlin, you’ve destroyed our In China, the film around 400 Chinese crew Foundation’s Wu Tianming — to be admitted to a film col­ life!’” he recalls. members. Film Summit for Young Tal­ lege in Finland. Quite dramatically, a shoe industry is It became a turning point ent. However, he was disap­ hit him in the head and trig­ for Harlin, who decided to Born in Riihimaki, a town pointed to find that his class­ gered an idea: to use the sets, growing, and I’m shift his focus to China, where 70 kilometers north of Helsin­ mates — eight in total — had props and crew to at least he now resides and has found­ ki, Harlin’s first foray into no chance of raising enough shoot some action sequences. really excited to be ed his own company. directing was to use a tape Scenes from Skiptrace, starring Jackie Chan, and Cliffhanger, money to shoot a film in Fin­ So, he quickly arranged a part of it.” “The film industry is getting recorder and recruit some starring Sylvester Stallone. Both are action blockbusters helmed by land, a country with a popula­ flight to the US to hire three smaller and smaller in Holly­ neighborhood children to pro­ Finnish director Renny Harlin. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY tion of around 5 million. young, unknown actors and Renny Harlin, Finnish film wood,” he observes. “The stu­ duce an audio story. He dropped out of the acad­ shot 25 minutes of footage, fea­ director dios’ films are mostly When the production emy, sending nine scripts to turing explosions and gunfire, superhero films and very little wrapped up, he invited all his shoot a short war film. He Finland to shoot the spy thrill­ the government­backed Finn­ which he used to successfully else. classmates to sit in the field used miniature toy soldiers er, Telefon, which starred US ish Film Foundation. But they attract a studio in Hollywood Irwin Yablans offered him the “In China, the film industry outside his family’s yard, and and planes, as well as some actor Charles Bronson. all failed to secure funding to finance the rest of the mov­ script of Prison, a horror film is growing, and I’m really used a loudspeaker to broad­ small fireworks, to create a For the first time in his life, because they were too enter­ ie. shot in the Old State Prison in excited to be part of it.” cast the recording. fierce battlefield, and cast the Harlin saw a large film set full tainment­driven. Born American grossed $3.4 Wyoming. It helped Harlin not He also hopes his from­striv­ “It felt so powerful to be able neighbor kids as actors. of cameras, tracks and equip­ Such government funding is million in the US, but Harlin only to master the directorial ing­to­thriving story will to tell a story and entertain all But it was not until he was ment. The most impressive usually reserved for art or edu­ still led a hard life in Holly­ procedures in Hollywood but encourage emerging Chinese the neighborhood kids,” he 15 that Harlin experienced moment for him was when a cational films with in­depth wood, as he endured huge also to improve his English. filmmakers. recalls, smiling. what it would be like to work helicopter landed, and Siegel themes in many countries. debts due to the complex In the same year, he landed “Don’t give up. Follow your The young artist upgraded as a professional director. stepped out of it with a cigar in At age 23, Harlin traveled to nature of the film’s contract. the directors chair for A Night­ heart and keep going,” the his directorial skills at the age That year, Hollywood action his mouth. The director walk­ the United States. The journey Things took a turn for the mare on Elm Street 4: The emotional filmmaker con­ of 11, when he got a camera to director Don Siegel toured to ed to a chair with his name on taught him how to sell an idea, better when, in 1988, producer Dream Master, which became cludes.