'I'd most like to have a fight scene with Stallone...'
Jackie Chan is in Cannes again this year, making everyone in his presence acutely aware that saying "How are you enjoying this year's Channes Film Festival?" would be a terribly unfunny thing to do. Instead, journalists are bombarding him with questions about his upcoming project, Skiptrace, as well as the Police Story reboot Police Story 2013 and, of course, Expendables 3.
"[The Expendables team] did contact me, but right now I have not read the script yet. I’d love to work with Stallone, but until I get back next week and meet Stallone and his manager, see the script… that’s when he’ll tell me what happens."
"I’d most like to have a fight scene with Stallone. Though I’d like to team up with him against the bad guy. There are so many action stars involved, it must be so difficult being the director. How do you share out every scene? 'I want to do something special, I want to do something special!' At the end, it’s all small parts, small parts, small parts. I want a big part! I hope I have a big part with Stallone!"
But this fight scene with Stallone... who would win in that fight? "I would", replies Jackie with a smile. "I run faster than him."
Police Story 2013 is a different kettle of fish, however. Another reboot of a movie franchise from Jackie's heyday, it sees JC return not as Kevin Chan Ka-Kui, but an entirely different character - a policeman not from Hong Kong, but from the mainland.
"I’ve just finished Police Story 2013. It’s totally different to my last movie, 12 Zodiac [also known as CZ12 and Chinese Zodiac, a 2012 pseudo-reboot of the Armour Of God series]. 12 Zodiac was 'ah-ah-ah-ah-ah' (mimes fast kung fu moves), whereas Police Story 2013 is very much a drama. That’s why I chose different roles every year – I don’t like to do three 12 Zodiacs in a row, then Rush Hours 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. So after 12 Zodiac, then Police Story, now I’m doing Skiptrace. A different kind of character. Next year, probably Karate Kid 2, then I’m back to the old things again."
Then, finally, there's Skiptrace, a pet project of Jackie's that's finally coming to screens thanks to new director Sam Fell, who you probably recognise from his work helming feature-length animations Paranorman and Flushed Away. Not your usual action director, perhaps, but Skiptrace isn't your usual action film, seeing Jackie buddy up with a new partner (who hasn't yet been cast) as they go around East Asia prodding buttock.
"This is a script I’ve been developing for 20 years," says Jackie. "One of my babies. Then I gave it to Sam, he changes a lot of the script, he changes a lot of the characters. I really want the situation to help with a lot of the stunts. You don’t want another restaurant, a beach, a boat… I have to find new locations for the fights. And this movie is all about the locations. Mongolia, Siberia, Macau, Hong Kong, Yellow River, Vietnam, construction sites… that helps with a lot of action comedy."
Skiptrace is looking to shoot in September, with X-Men: Days Of Future Past's Fan Bingbing already locked in. Chris Tucker was offered the script, but Jackie wasn't keen as he thought it would morph into Rush Hour 4. Expendables 3, meanwhile, has a director - Red Hill's Patrick Hughes - and a strange new poster with a tagline "Never send a boy to do a man's job" but no confirmed dates. Rumours about Wesley Snipes and Mickey Rourke coming on board are also circulating. More news on Police Story 2013's distribution as we get it.
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