Russell's Notes from Shanghai

The action-adventure is inspired by kung-fu classics as interpreted by his longtime collaborators RZA and Eli Roth. The Man with the Iron Fists tells the epic story of warriors, assassins and a lone outsider hero in nineteenth-century China who must unite to destroy the clan traitor who would destroy them all. Since his arrival in China’s Jungle Village, the town’s blacksmith (RZA) has been forced by radical tribal factions to create elaborate tools of destruction. When the clans’ brewing war boils over, the stranger channels an ancient energy to transform himself into a human weapon. As he fights alongside iconic heroes and against soulless villains, one man must harness this power to become savior of his adopted people. Blending astonishing martial-arts sequences from some of the masters of this world with the signature vision he brings as the leader of the Wu-Tang Clan and as one of hip-hop’s most dominant figures of the past two decades, RZA joins Roth to embark upon their most ambitious, stylized and thrilling project to date.

Updated March 18, 2012

News:

3/18/2012 - The Hollywood Reporter: Filmart: What You Need to Know About the Hong Kong Event -- (Related) - Rising Stars - Daniel Wu, 37, has starred in more than 50 Hong Kong films and is poised to make an East-West breakthrough with a role opposite Russell Crowe in the upcoming kung fu homage The Man With the Iron Fists, which shot in Shanghai and at the famed Hengdian World Studios. - Thanks, Caliope

10/17/11 -- Upcomingmovies.com: RZA's THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS starring Russell Crowe gets updated synopsis - Thanks, Eileen

Updates from Shanghai HERE (Russell is home in Sydney now - 3/3/2011)

2/6/2011 - From Russell (A fellow Steelers fan): Well, the atmosphere here is something that I guess you've just got to acclimatize too.
It is pretty foggy a lot of the time, though last night the air cleared and the cityscape of Pudong is beautiful.
There are still sporadic fireworks going off however many days it is now into the new year.
I just counted 60 seconds and 9 close explosions, there are other muffled ones in the distance, so I suppose "sporadic" is an understatement, more like continuous.
This morning I got up around 5am and there were gigantic kites being flown in the dark over the Yangtze River lit with LED lights underneath, making all sorts of patterns. I don't know if it was anything special or just some guys who like flying kites in the dark. Whichever, It looked great.
Still under the weather, but what can you do?
Ventured out to Songjiang today where we are shooting, the set is simply amazing.
This is only a tiny budget by American standards but you get a big bang for your buck here.
I have a couple more days before I start, I'm hoping that I'll shake whatever this is by then.
Hope you are well,
RC.

2/2/2011 -- From Russell today:

More on his breakfast - I had asked him what the food was like:

breakfast
Congee
Pork Bao
Vegetable spring roll - tiny, triangula

Hey,
Arrived in Shanghai a couple of hours ago. Fireworks going off all over town.
Beautiful architecture.
Hope you are well
RC

1/17/2011:obsessedwithfilm.com: RZA and Roth Filming THE MAN WITH THE IRON FIST With Russell Crowe in China - Thanks, Steph

1/11/2011:Film Business Asia: Iron Fists shoot underway in China - The cast includes Russell Crowe and RZA as the title character, a blacksmith who forges weapons for the inhabitants of a village in feudal China. They are forced to defend themselves. Corey Yuen (Transporter) is directing the action sequences. The $20 million film to be distributed by Universal Pictures also features a large Asian-American contingent including Lucy Liu, Daniel Wu, Byron Mann (Streetfighter, The Corruptor, pictured), Osric Chau (What Women Want) and Darren Scott (aka Darren Choo, Romeo Must Die). Crowe is expected to arrive in China at the end of the months and stay on set through February. - Thanks, Steph

Information on Shanghai

The Throne room in the Imperial Palace - Beijing

12/12/2010: russellcrowe Russell Crowe - I'm going to Shanghai in February, any tips?

9/15/2010- RZA trades in Method Man for Cinderella Man, snagging Russell Crowe for Kung Fu Film