Michael Chuah collaborates with China on new action movie

9 Jan – Malaysian director Michael Chuah is set to bring a new China-Malaysia collaboration to the big screen, this time in the form of action movie "Stormbreaker".

The director was present at the movie launch held earlier today, along with Chinese director Xie Ming Xiao and the cast, Singapore's Tosh Zhang and China's Liu Lei, Jarvis Wu Jian Fei, Jeremy and Ye Si Tong.

Chuah is directing the movie, which is a collaboration between Evo Pictures Sdn Bhd, Shanghai Bright Pictures and ShaoXing New Media Pictures, alongside Xie, who handles its drama and story angle while Chuah tackles the action side of things.

As the martial art and action actor-director is wont to do in his projects, he is also producing the movie and acting in it. Chuah plays a prosecutor from China called Xiao Song, while Jarvis and Jeremy play fellow prosecutors Cheng Hao and Mr Chai, respectively.

The story follows the three men who travel to Malaysia to persuade a corrupt official, Zong Han Qing (Liu Lei), who has left China with a huge amount of money, to return to the country to face justice. They enlist the help of local tycoon siblings, Jack and Penny Lim, but their mission won't be easy as they face challenges from a group of unknown officials.

Tosh Zhang – well known for starring in Jack Neo's "Ah Boys to Men" franchise – plays Jack, the brother of Penny (played by Malaysian actress Joey Leong who was not present at the launch).

"I think at first I was a bit stressed because this is my first time working with them," the Singaporean actor said when asked about working with the Chinese actors. "Coming on set, knowing that they are established actors in China, so the pressure was definitely there."

He added that after being on set with them, he realised that it was fun working with them even though the cast didn't have a lot of time to get to know each other.

Filming on the movie begun in Malaysia on 27 December last year and next month, filming will wrap in Shao Xing, China.

"Stormbreaker" is expected to hit cinemas in July or August of this year.

Before that, Chuah will be releasing his upcoming movie "Red Storm", which stars himself and the likes of Henry Thia and Henley Hii, in Malaysian cinemas this 28 March.