Daniel Wu’s Futuristic Thriller “Control” Breaks New Ground

The first concept poster for the action-suspense film, Control <控制>, was recently released, giving viewers a glimpse into the film’s theme of control and oppression. Directed by Kenneth Bi (畢國智) and starring Daniel Wu (吳彥祖), Control is scheduled to open in theaters on November 21, and aims to write a new page in the history of Chinese-language blockbusters.

Originally titled Plan to Control the City <控城計>, Control takes places in a scientifically advanced, futuristic city and revolves around the themes of “being controlled” and “losing control.” Daniel Wu plays Mark, a man who commits perjury for his company in order to help his mother. However, he meets a mysterious person who threatens him and forces him to rob a bank. After the theft, the mysterious person continues to cause disasters to happen to Mark, which is when Mark vows to break free from this person’s control and expose his or her true identity.

The film’s concept poster depicts a person’s shadow looking down at an X-shaped array of monitoring devices. Although the shadow takes up the majority of the poster, the angle and darkness make it impossible to discern any specific details about the person, giving the poster an intangible feeling of oppression. Fortunately, while the monitoring devices can see people’s actions, they are unable to clearly see into their hearts – an idea expressed in the film’s tagline: “Man can be controlled. His heart cannot.”

Daniel Wu, who will also be the film’s executive producer alongside Stephen Fung (馮德倫), shared that he wanted to take on the double role because he was attracted to the script. “I feel that this movie’s ideas are very fresh,” he said. “I’ve never seen this type of film in Chinese-language movies – it’s very special.”

Daniel also revealed that Kenneth and Stephen’s participation boosted his confidence in the film. “They have all been friends of mine for many years, and there’s no doubt of our chemistry,” he expressed. “We’ve gotten together this time in order to create a new type of Chinese-language film that people will find refreshing.”

With the combination of high technology, crime, and action, as well as an all-star cast that includes Yao Chen (姚晨), Simon Yam (任達華), Leon Dai (戴立忍), Ady An (安以軒), and Shao Bing (邵兵), Control is sure to bring “Chinese-language blockbusters” to an entirely new level.

Sources: Hunantv.com; Baidu.com 

This article is written by Joanna for JayneStars.com.