The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom
| The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom | |
|---|---|
Theatrical poster
|
|
| Traditional | 白髮魔女傳之明月天國 |
| Simplified | 白发魔女传之明月天国 |
| Mandarin | Báifà Mónǚ Zhuàn Zhī Míngyuè Tiānguó |
| Directed by | Jacob Cheung |
| Produced by | Huang Jianxin |
| Screenplay by | Kang Qiao Wang Bing |
| Story by | Liang Yusheng |
| Starring |
Fan Bingbing Huang Xiaoming Vincent Zhao Wang Xuebing Ni Dahong Tong Yao Li Ruxin |
| Cinematography | Lin Guohua |
|
Production
company |
|
| Distributed by | Bona Film Group |
|
Release date
|
|
|
Running time
|
103 mins |
| Country | China |
| Language | Mandarin |
| Budget | 100 million yuan (US$16 million) |
| Box office | US$64.2 million |
The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom is a Chinese wuxia-fantasy 3D film loosely adapted from Liang Yusheng's novel Baifa Monü Zhuan. Directed by Jacob Cheung and produced by Bona Film Group, the film stars Fan Bingbing as the title character, with Huang Xiaoming, Vincent Zhao and others among the supporting cast. Originally scheduled for release on 25 April 2014, the film was moved to 1 August 2014, then moved a day earlier to 31 July 2014.
The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom was produced at a budget of 100 million yuan. Shooting started in November 2012 and ended in March 2013. During filming, Huang Xiaoming had a three-metre fall after a wire accident on the set and he fractured two toes on his left foot. He had to sit in a wheelchair for weeks, but resumed filming even though he had yet to fully recover. On 2 April 2013, Huang and Fan Bingbing attended a press conference in Beijing to talk about their experiences in filming White Haired Witch.
The film grossed US$61,900,000 in mainland China and a total of US$64.2 million internationally.
The film received negative reviews from audiences. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports a 0 approval rating from critics, with an average score of 4.3/10, based on 6 reviews.The Hollywood Reporter said, "it's a shame that Cheung's first film in seven years is eventually weighed down by this rushed, uneven sprawl of a story credited to five screenwriters, each of whom possibly bringing their own references (ranging from political-parable historical dramas like last year's Life of Ming, to the contemporary dramas like Infernal Affairs) and their perspective in how to make The White Haired Witch connect with a new generation of viewers. Their attempt in reinventing this tale sits uncomfortably with the one central element that couldn't be moved — that is, the troubled (and sloppily presented) romance involving the title character."
...
Wikipedia