“Painted Faces” Theatrical Poster
Hong Kong legend Sammo Hung (Eastern Condors) will be directing a new film about the Seven Little Fortunes, which will be based on his real-life experiences during his time with the China Drama Academy, a Peking opera school in Hong Kong in the 1960s – led by master Yu Jim-yuen – that was famous for producing some of Hong Kong’s top performers, most notably Hung himself, Yuen Biao and Jackie Chan.
Seven Little Fortunes will star Tony Leung Ka-fai (The Taking of Tiger Mountain, Cold War 2) and will be co-produced by Yuen Biao Films Production, Beijing Renxing Film Media Culture and Quanton Times Pictures. Hung will be the chief director of the film, which will be penned by Raymond To, who is perhaps best known for writing Clifton Ko’s 1994 film, I Have A Date With Spring (via Variety).
The Seven Little Fortunes were a performance troupe consisting of the best students at the China Drama Academy. They were interchangeable and consisted of as many as fourteen but only seven would perform on stage at one time.
Other noted members included Corey Yuen (actor and director best known for 1988’s Dragons Forever and 2002’s The Transporter), Yuen Wah (famously moustached actor who plays a brilliant villain in 1987’s Eastern Condors), Yuen Tai (actor and martial artist known for 1983’s 8 Diagram Pole Fighter), Yuen Miu (bit part actor and one of the action directors on 1994’s Drunken Master 2) and Yuen Bun (actor, action director noted for directing 1993’s Once Upon a Time in China IV).
Seven Little Fortunes starts production in March 2022. We’ll keep you updated as we learn more. Until then, here’s the Trailer for Alex Law’s similarly-themed 1988 film, Painted Faces, which starred Sammo Hung:
This is interesting indeed! I’m sure Jackie Chan will have a lot to say about the accuracy of the completed film. According to the book Jackie Chan: Inside the Dragon, he said Painted Faces was only 20% accurate and that his experience in the Peking Opera School was more like Farewell My Concubine.
Yuen Jim, their teacher famously told Sammo “I wasn’t that mean!” To which Sammo said “Yeah you were!” Amazing times.
Considering how much control the government now has over any production which comes out of the Mainland and Hong Kong, I’m sure this will be a tale of how Yu Jim-yuen produced seven of the most patriotic fortunes to have graced our screens for the benefit of promoting China’s awesome talent and influence on the world.
Sadly, I don’t see much exaggeration in that statement.