“Hua Xu Yin” Director Defends Casting Kevin Cheng
The television adaptation of mainland China’s national best-selling novel, Hua Xu Yin <华胥引>, is currently shooting in Zhejiang’s Xiangshan County. Starring Kevin Cheng (鄭嘉穎), Yuan Hong (袁弘), and Jiang Xin (蒋欣), Hua Xu Yin is a tragic fantasy drama that tells the story of a fallen princess who creates beautiful dreams for people in exchange for their lives.
Lee Tat Chiu (李達超), the award-winning action choreographer for Bodyguards and Assassins <十月圍城>, has recently been announced to direct Hua Xu Yin, his directorial debut. Some of Lee’s best known works include the 2003 Hong Kong film Colour of the Truth <黑白森林>, which won Lee a nomination at the 40th Golden Horse Awards for best action choreography. Lee’s work in 2009’s Bodyguards and Assassins won him an award for best action choreography at the 29th Hong Kong Film Award, a win that was shared with Stephen Tung (董瑋). Along with Yuen Woo Ping (袁和平), Lee also worked on Hollywood’s The Matrix film franchise.
Lee is very happy to be able to have a chance to direct Hua Xu Yin as his debut. He gushed at the crew’s professionalism, and expressed that he is impressed at the crew’s dedication and love for their craft.
In regards to fans’ disappointment that the 40-year-old Kevin Cheng was cast as the young Mo Yan, a character in his early twenties, Lee explained, “Television dramas and novels are always different from each other. Take Legend of Concubine Zhen Huan <甄嬛傳> for example. In the novel, the male lead was in his twenties, while in the television adaptation, he was in his forties. Only a mature and composed male lead would be able to control the intrigue and struggles of his everyday life, and can be heedful about the cunning officials and concubines that live with him. In such a setting, I don’t think a young man in his early twenties will able to handle it!”
Lee added, “Similarly, Hua Xu Yin’s Mo Yan is not just a gentle and romantic man. He is also a talented leader, and someone who is able to stand up as a leading figure amidst a world of chaos and power struggle. Again, I don’t think this is something that a 20-year-old boy would be able to do. Kevin Cheng is an excellent actor who can use his eyes to express one’s conflicted inner turmoil, and I believe he will do the role justice!”
Hua Xu Yin is an adaptation of the best-selling novel of the same name by Tang Qi Gong Zi (唐七公子), which was published in January 2011. The adaptation is a joint production of Ciwen Media, Tianjin Beifang Film Group, and Tianjin Coastal International Industry.
Source: Hunantv.com
This article is written by Addy for JayneStars.com.
Well explained and I’m pretty sure Kevin will live up to all expectations in Hua Xu Yin.
I agreed with you, he is a very good actor.
but he’s still 40 years old..
He’s soon to be 44 this year.
44.
agree he is too old,he looks too mature to.the director have to cast wu chun instead of kevin.
Did Kevin Cheng did some plastic surgery to his face?? All the poster of him looks ugly and somehow his face is kinda swelling. He doesn’t looks like his usual self.
Yeah the photos of him look really weird.
Photo-shopped
While I do adore Kevin as an actor, he’s not right for this role. Kevin neither has the right looks nor the right age. Those pictures of him in costume are absolutely dreadful. I’ll bet a lot of novel fans are spitting blood at this point.
He looks like Sammul Chan in the picture on the right.
“Again, I don’t think this is something that a 20-year-old boy would be able to do.”
Dear Mr. Lee, the novelist think a 20-year-old boy can do such thing, hence she wrote so in her novel. The readers read and accept it as a fact. You adapt the novel, you can change but the fans of the novel can complain because they have it in mind that Mo Yan is 20. So you can’t complain why the fans of the novel dun feel satisfy with your casting.
I agree.
I still find Kevin awkward in ancient series except for BBJX type.
the manchu pigtails and shaved head styles are just too ugly.
kevin always surprises people with his acting in each role
I think Kev looks fine but i hate that fringe! Wish they pulled it up into the hairstyle like he looks in that Fu Chai series. Just pull his fringe up then Kevin will be superhot.
Kev is not old looking. Anyway, if Adam Cheng and Liza Wang could play teenagers frolicking with butterflies while in their thirties & forties, then Kev should be ok playing a guy in his twenties.
yup
Yes you’re right about that blasted fringe** Many other actors also have that in their series, examples Raymond Lam, Ron Ng, Nicky Wu, Nicholas Tse…….they could do without that fringe.
Those pictures are photoshopped. Kevin’s face is never that long and slim.
I think he’s good looking enough, but I dont know what the deal is with the age since he dosent really look it. It seems that the drama version is pushing for a late 20s or early 30s age for the character rather than early 20s.
Personally, I think this is more believable as well. What a novel can get away with dosent always translate the same to the screen.
But the truth is in real life even some famous generals were dead before they hit mid 30s.
How I wish for Yuan Hong to play Mu Yan! NVM, it’s just my thought.