Cast Confirmed for “My Date With a Vampire” Film
Starring Eric Wan (尹天照), Joey Meng (萬綺雯), Kristy Yeung (楊恭如) and others, ATV classic My Date with a Vampire <我和殭屍有個約會> aired to phenomenal response in 1998, and spanned two sequels, filmed over 6 years. Now available on Disney+ platform, news leaked that the drama will be adapted into a film version helmed by its original producer Sap Sam Chen (陳十三), the husband of actress Joey Meng, who will double up as screenwriter and director.
A Prequel to the Trilogy?
Recently, reporters got wind that filming for the movie adaptation was underway on deserted school campus. According to talk, the film version has been renamed “Ghostbusting Dragon Tribe Ma Siu Ling” <驅魔龍族馬小玲> (lit. translation), and actress Karena Ng (吳千語), who has been confirmed to play “Ma Siu Ling” was spotted in a school uniform on set, raising guesses that the movie will narrate a prequel to the popular series.
Other key members of the cast include Bosco Wong (黃宗澤), who will be challenged to take on Eric Wan’s character Fong Tin-yau, actress Jacky Cai (蔡潔) shall play Wong Jan-Jan (previously played by Kristy Yeung). Ray Lui (呂良偉) will join in as Yamamoto Kazuo, the Japanese imperial previously portrayed by Kenneth Chan (陳啟泰) along with Best Supporting Actress winner Fish Lieu (廖子妤) who plays Kam Mei-Loi, previously performed by actress Queenie Cheung (張文慈).
“Karena Suited for Role”
Sam Sap Chen reportedly shared that many parties had approached him to discuss a film adaptation for the series after filming for the first season was completed. Unprecedentedly, he only agreed to the project now, a full twenty-four years on, after he was moved by the investment parties. Adding that Karena Ng was “very suitable” for the role of Ma Siu Ling, he declined to reveal further details when asked if his wife Joey Meng would make a comeback cameo in the production.
Source: HK01
Not going to be easy to win over the audience when the original cast is well-liked and Karena does not have the best reputation. I am very curious of Ray playing the role of Yamamoto, wasn’t Yamamoto entangled in a love relationship with Jan-Jan (who resembled his Japanese wife) who loved Tin-yau who loved Siu Ling in the TV series?
will be a big flop, Karena Ng (吳千語) can’t not act…
I have a feeling it was the investors that wanted Karena to get the role IMO, and not Sap Sam, he’s probably just going with it for the big payday…
Exactly what I was thinking! Isn’t Karena’s current bf super rich? (I mean… all of them are. She definitely is determined to marry rich!) Anyway, I think maybe her bf is a major investor in the film and forced them to cast Karena or they pull out. Such a shame. I would’ve looked forward to this but don’f have any hope for Karena. She can’t act at all.
I totally agree, but then Sap Sam never agreed to produce a film until now… so unless they are in a bad financial situation, I think there’s some truth to him thinking Karena is a good fit for the role.
I’m personally not looking forward to it. The original cast was too classic to be replaced, and the new cast isn’t appealing at all except Ray Lui. It also doesn’t look like a full HK cast… I’ve rewatched it like 4 times, I don’t think even the current top actors/actresses can replace the OG cast.
Will only check it out if Joey Meng makes a guest appearance 😀 but let’s be real, no one can rock the short skirt and thigh high boots like Joey
I think Ali Lee is the only one that would be able to pull off the look and role and be Joey’s successor. Too bad they didn’t cast her instead.
Yes, agree, now that you mention it, she would have been great to play that part! I’ll watch it for funsies with zero expectations…The other funny thing is Bosco brotherly relationship with Raymond, so I’m wondering if they’ll be any simple intimate scenes between the two. Even though that’s not his “a-so” anymore….just interesting…
Personally I think she’s being smeared for no reason. Who doesn’t want to marry rich? If she’s able to marry rich, why not? Not saying that’s her ultimate goal, but it’s being presented that way, so even going by that logic, what’s wrong with that?
Acting-wise, I haven’t seen enough of her works to say one way or another, but she didn’t seem like a terrible actress. She won Best Supporting New Actress some years back. And she (I assume) auditioned for this role as well. Chan Sup Sam had many opportunities over the years to film the movie, but rejected all of them, only to select her. I don’t think it’s for economic reasons, because he could’ve done this years ago when there was tons of money to be made, and not now when economic outlook is so gloomy.
That said, I still have low expectations for this film lol. Movies are never as good as its TV counterpart. Eric Wan was also a weird cast – same as Bosco. I’m not a big fan of either of the male leads, but I’ll watch for nostalgia. They’ll have a hard time replacing some beauties too.
She started not to bad but went down on acting recently. I watched her new movie Sunshine of my life and she was such a merh with overacted expressions.