Few actors could be as linked to the universe of gaming and casinos to the extent that Chow Yun Fat is. The man who, since 1989, has been part of the film series God of Gamblers, now returns with From Vegas to Macau, a movie by director Wong Jing already being screened in theatres around town.
From Vegas to Macau is an action film in the vein of Oceans Eleven, but with greater doses of humour. During a press conference in December, Chow Yun Fat, who came through the city to promote the film, confirmed exactly this: this is not an action movie about casino games and players, it is above all a comedy.
“In reality it’s not really a movie about the games. On the contrary, it is a comedy. I have acted in many films. This time I decided to make this one to please myself and Wong Jing. The last comedy I made, The Eighth Happiness, was over 20 years ago. I’m glad Wong Jing asked me to be in this movie that will certainly attract big audiences”, the actor said, quoted by China Radio International.
The film features other actors such as Nicholas Tse, Chapman To, Gao Hu, Jin Tian and Fei Tong. It tells the story of Show Hand (Tse) and Karl (Chapman To), who decide to travel to Las Vegas to visit a good friend of their mentor, Hendrick (Chow Yun Fat), a man who left behind a dark past to work in the American gambling Mecca as a security consultant.
Some specialized film websites see From Vegas to Macau as the fourth part in the God of Gamblers series, after God of Gamblers II (1991) and God of Gambler’s Returns (1994), all films in which Chow Yun Fat played the role of Ko Chun, a virtuoso gambler endowed with supernatural powers.
Director Wong Jing is counting on the actor – winner of several awards and nominated for an Oscar for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), by Ang Lee – for greater box office success. Wong foresees that From Vegas to Macau could amass in the area of 1.5 billion Hong Kong dollars.
In addition to From Vegas to Macau, Chow Yun Fat is set to debut two more films this year. One, The Monkey King, is a new film adaptation of the classic book Journey to the West, which will result in a 3D trilogy, made by Macau-born filmmaker Pou-Soi Cheang.