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17 November 1999 | Raintree Pictures
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Countdown to 2000 AD Starts Now
The marketing campaign kicks off officially today at a press conference held in Singapore. With the release of the teaser poster, the countdown to the movie begins.
Present at the conference were its executive producers (Daniel Yun, Thomas Chung, Willie Chan), director Gordon Chan, and heavenly king Aaron Kwok leading a main cast comprising Phyllis Quek, Daniel Wu, James Lye and Gigi Choi.
There has already been a lot of awareness of the movie when Gordon was in Singapore in August to identify the leading actress for the movie. There were many speculations then with the role finally going to Phyllis Quek.
With the start of the marketing campaign, there will be greater awareness of the movie in the coming months leading to the release of the movie in February over Chinese New Year. "2000 AD is going to the biggest movie next year.
The movie is slated for a simultaneous release regionally. It will start off the next millennium with a great bang," says Daniel Yun, Chief Executive Officer Raintree Pictures.
Managing Director of United International Pictures (UIP), Roger Pollock, shares the same sentiment. UIP is distributing 2000 AD in Singapore.
"This is the third time we are working with Raintree Pictures after the successful LIANG PO PO - THE MOVIE and THE TRUTH ABOUT JANE & SAM. We have faith in Raintree Pictures' projects and we are confident that 2000 AD will do very well," says Roger Pollock.
2000 AD has completed its leg of filming in Hong Kong last month. A short prayer ceremony was held on Monday 15 November to mark the beginning of filming in Singapore that is scheduled to end by early December.
For the Singapore shoot, a local crew has been put together to support the filming here. A Singapore assistant director has also been attached to the main crew in Hong Kong since pre-production in August. This is all part of the effort to increase the local exposure to filmmaking.
The first action thriller to come out of Singapore, 2000 AD, is budgeted at US$5M, the biggest budget movie from Raintree Pictures to date. The movie is an international product, a culmination of talents and expertise from East and West. There is the award-winning director, Gordon Chan, from Hong Kong; a main cast with stars from Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan; an original English screenplay by Stu Zicherman who will be writing NOSEBLEED for Jackie Chan; and special effects by the people who did Independence Day from the United States.
2000 AD is a collaboration with Media Asia Films in Hong Kong. Media Asia Films is a progressive movie company responsible for the action hit GEN-X COPS, the critically acclaimed TEMPTING HEART, and the soon-to-be released PURPLE STORM.
"We are delighted to be able to collaborate with Raintree Pictures on such a high profile project," says Thomas Chung, Group Managing Director of Media Asia Films. "We share the same vision of making breakthrough movies that can re-define Asian film."
2000 AD is only the first of many other movies to come from the Raintree Pictures-Media Asia Films collaboration. Media Asia Films will also have a stake in Raintree Pictures' first English feature, MY FOUR SEASONS, a romantic comedy set in Singapore.
"Raintree Pictures' approach has always been to collaborate with experienced partners. This is the only way to jump-start the local industry. This partnership takes us a step further into a more in-depth collaboration. Half the movie is shot here and half the cast is Singaporean. Beyond the investment and ownership in terms of production it is a real collaboration."
"I hope that there will be greater support from the government and there can be tax incentives or greater facilitation of filming to encourage location filming in Singapore. For Media Asia Films, this is our first collaboration with them and we will continue to work with them on future projects." explains Daniel Yun.
Raintree Pictures is a joint venture company between the Television Corporation of Singapore and Temasek Holdings, one of the main investment arms of the Singapore government.
Released on 17 November 1999
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David Leong
Kelly Chew
Kitty Leung
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Raintree
Pictures
