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Ronny Yu

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In this Chinese name, the family name is Yu.
Ronny Yu
于仁泰
Born1950 (age 73–74)
British Hong Kong
Other namesRonny Yan-Tai Yu
Occupation(s)Director, producer, screenwriter

Ronny Yu Yan-Tai (Chinese: 于仁泰) is a Hong Kong film director, producer, and movie writer. He has worked on both Hong Kong and American films. He is mostly known for his work in the American horror genre, such as Bride of Chucky (1998) and Freddy vs. Jason (2003).

Early life and education

Yu was born in Hong Kong and graduated from Ohio University.

Career

Early films include The Servant (1979),[1] The Saviour (1980),[2] and The Occupant (1984).[3]

In 1982, Yu directed The Postman Strikes Back.[4] The film stars Bryan Leung as the titular protagonist who is sent on a mission to deliver a cargo of four mysterious cases to a rebel leader. The film co-stars Chow Yun-fat, Eddy Ko, Cherie Chung, etc.[citation needed]

In 1986, Yu directed the Hong Kong action crime thriller Legacy of Rage. It was Brandon Lee's first lead role.[5] Yu said that he and Lee did not get along during shooting.[6] In the film, Lee plays a young man blamed for a crime he did not commit.[7] Lee was nominated for a Hong Kong Film Award for Best New Performer in this role.[8] In May of the following year, it was a critical success at the Cannes Film Festival and commercial success in Japan.[9] In 1998, Legacy of Rage was released directly to video in the U.S. and Australia the next year.[8][10] This was due to ongoing interest on Lee's film, due to his early passing in 1993. The film has been described as stylistic and fast-paced, with a good performance by Lee. Some critics considered it to be Lee's best genre film.[11][12][10][13]

In 1994, Yu directed both The Bride with White Hair and its sequel.[14][15] Also that year, Yu was credited as executive producer on the film Chunggamsuk .[16]

In 1998 Bride of Chucky opened in the USA. Yu directed a cast that consist of Brad Dourif, Jennifer Tilly, John Ritter, Katherine Heigl, and Nick Stabil.[17] The conception began after the release of Child's Play 3 in 1991. Producers Don Mancini and David Kirschner decided that the series required a new direction.[18] Work on the film began in 1996, inspired by the release of Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. Yu was hired to direct the film after Kirschner and Mancini were impressed by his film The Bride with White Hair, and accepted in exchange for greater creative freedom and the ability to hire his collaborators Peter Pau and David Wu.[19][20] It grossed $11.8 million on its opening weekend, for a North American total of $32.4 million and another $18.3 million internationally. It is the highest-grossing film and the US second most financially successful of the Chucky franchise[21] The film has a 49% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 39 reviews, with an average rating of 5.60 out of 10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Bride of Chucky is devoid of any fright and the franchise has become tiresomely self-parodic, although horror fans may find some pleasure in this fourth entry's camp factor."[22] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[23]

In 2002, Sony Pictures released The 51st State, directed by Yu, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Carlyle, Emily Mortimer, Ricky Tomlinson, Sean Pertwee, Rhys Ifans, Stephen Walters and Meat Loaf.[24]

In 2003, Freddy vs. Jason, directed by Yu, has its opening in the USA.[25] While the conception of a movie for a crossover film with a fight between Freddy Krueger and Jason Voorhees dates back to 1987,[26] it was later reviewed in the late 90s which led to its production.[27] Made on a budget of $30,000,000, it grossed domestically in the USA $82,622,655 adding up $116,632,628 worldwide.[28]

In 2006, Yu directed Fearless, starring Jet Li.[29] In Hong Kong it grossed an exceptional HK$30,201,600, making it the highest-grossing domestic film of the territory of 2006.[30] In North America, in its opening weekend, it placed 2nd at the box office, grossing US$10,590,244. The film went on to gross US$24,633,730 by the end of its North American run—making it the sixth highest-grossing non-English language foreign film in the United States to date[31]—and its total worldwide gross US$68,072,848.[32][33] The film holds a rating of 73% on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus being, "Fearless is a brilliantly choreographed, beautifully filmed endcap to Li's quarter-decade of epic martial arts glory."[34]

He was once attached to direct Snakes on a Plane (2006)[35] and he was aboard the project when Samuel L. Jackson, whom he directed in The 51st State, signed on. Before shooting began, however, he was replaced by David R. Ellis.

In 2009, Yu directed the Fear Itself episode, "Family Man" which starred Clifton Collins Jr.[36] Also that year, Yu was a credited screenwriter and producer on Blood: The Last Vampire directed by Chris Nahon.[37] Production began, in May 2006, producer Bill Kong announced that he was producing a live-action film adaptation of the amine Blood: The Last Vampire, to be directed by Yu. Like the source material, it would be primarily filmed in English rather than Japanese.[38][39] Kong and Yu originally planned to finance the project themselves, but in November 2006, Production I.G officially consented to the film and began offering financial support.[40][41] Rather than being paid a straight license, Production I.G will receive a percentage of all revenues generated by the film.[41] Through ties to Manga Entertainment, the French company Pathé became the film's co-production company, joining the Hong Kong-based Edko.[39][41] Yu was retained as its producer, but Nahon took over as the film's director.[42][43] Originally slated to be released worldwide in spring 2008,[41] the film premiered in Japan on 29 May 2009,[44] and was released in the United Kingdom on 26 June 2009.[45] Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions Group licensed the film for release in North America, where it was released to theatres by Samuel Goldwyn Films on 10 July 2009.[46][47] The film grossed US$473,992 in Japan, and had a worldwide gross of US$5,731,143.[48][49] On the opening weekend of its limited release to twenty theatres in the United States, the film grossed $103,000.[50]

In 2010, Yu appeared in the A Nightmare on Elm Street documentary Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy.[51]

Films

Year Title Director Producer Writer
1979 The Servant (Qiang nei qiang wai) Yes No No
1980 The Saviour (Jiu shi zhe) Yes No No
1982 The Postman Strikes Back (Xun cheng ma) Yes No No
1981 The Trail (Zhui gui qi xiong) Yes No No
1984 The Occupant (Ling qi po ren) Yes No No
1985 Mummy Dearest (Si yan zi) Yes No No
1986 Legacy of Rage (Long zai jiang hu) Yes No No
1988 Bless This House (Meng gui fo tiao qiang) Yes No No
1989 China White (Hong tian long hu hui) Yes Yes No
1991 Great Pretenders (Qian wang) Yes No No
1992 Shogun and Little Kitchen (Huo tou fu xing) Yes No No
1992 Steel Horse (Wu Lin sheng dou shi) Yes No No
1993 The Bride with White Hair (Bai fa mo nu zhuan) Yes Yes Yes
1993 The Bride with White Hair 2 (Bai fa mo nu zhuan II) No Yes Yes
1995 The Phantom Lover (Ye ban ge sheng) Yes No Yes
1997 Warriors of Virtue Yes Yes No
1998 Bride of Chucky Yes No No
2002 The 51st State Yes No No
2003 Freddy vs. Jason Yes No No
2006 Fearless (Huo Yuanjia) Yes Yes No
2013 Saving General Yang (Zhong lie Yang Jia Jiang) Yes No No

Producer only

  • The Extras (Jia li fei) (1978)
  • Eight in the Family (1985)
  • It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World (Fu gui bi ren) (1987)
  • The Girl Next Door (1988)
  • Chicken and Duck Talk (Ji tong ya jiang) (1988)
  • It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World 2 (Fu gui zai po ren) (1988)
  • Summer Lovers (Xia ri qing ren) (1992)
  • Once Upon a Time a Hero in China (Huang Fei Hong xiao zhuan) (1992)
  • Cohabitation (Tong ju guan xi) (1993)
  • The Incorruptible (Li Luo-Fu qi an) (1993)
  • All's Well, Ends Well Too (Hua tian xi shi) (1993)
  • Once Upon a Time a Hero in China II (Huang Fei Hong dui Huang Fei Hong) (1993)
  • Satin Steel (Chung Gam Suk) (1994)

References

  1. ^ "The Servants". www.tcm.com. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  2. ^ "The Saviour". www.tcm.com. Retrieved 2021-07-17.
  3. ^ "The Occupant". www.tcm.com. Retrieved 2021-07-17.
  4. ^ "The Postman Strikes Back". www.tcm.com. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  5. ^ * Allen, Terence (September 1994). "The movies of Brandon Lee". Black Belt Magazine. Vol. 32, no. 9. pp. 51–52.
  6. ^ Savage, Mark; Bren, Frank (August 30, 1994). "Shadow over film future". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  7. ^ Legacy of Rage (VHS). Tai seng video marketing (Ent.). 1998. 601643563831.
  8. ^ a b "Legacy Of Rage | TV Guide". TV Guide. Retrieved 2019-04-23.
  9. ^ "Bruce Lee Jr. talks about his father". Manila Standard. July 15, 1987. pp. 15–16.
  10. ^ a b Lowing, Rob (March 21, 1999). "Movies". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  11. ^ Harris, Paul (March 22, 1999). "Today's films". The Age. p. 19.
  12. ^ "Mondo video". Daily News. May 8, 1998. p. 74.
  13. ^ Myers, Randy (May 22, 1998). "Reviews". News-Press. p. Gulf-Coasting: 14.
  14. ^ "The Bride With White Hair". www.tcm.com. Retrieved 2021-07-17.
  15. ^ "The Bride With White Hair 2". www.tcm.com. Retrieved 2021-07-17.
  16. ^ "Chunggamsuk". www.tcm.com. Retrieved 2021-07-17.
  17. ^ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  18. ^ Donato, Matt (2018-10-30). "Bride of Chucky 20 years later: Don Mancini looks back at one of horror's boldest sequels". SYFY WIRE. Retrieved 2019-04-27.
  19. ^ Sterngold, James (1998-10-09). "At the Movies; On Revealing A Hidden Talent". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-04-27.
  20. ^ "Film > Bride Of Chucky – About The Production | Katherine Heigl Official Website". Retrieved 2019-04-27.
  21. ^ "Child's Play Movies at the Box Office - Box Office Mojo". www.boxofficemojo.com.
  22. ^ "Bride of Chucky (1998)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  23. ^ "CinemaScore". cinemascore.com.
  24. ^ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  25. ^ "AFI|Catalog". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 2021-07-16.
  26. ^ Bracke, Peter, pp.218–219
  27. ^ Squires, John (February 21, 2017). "The 5 Most Insane Freddy vs. Jason Ideas That Never Came To Be". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  28. ^ "Freddy vs. Jason". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2021-07-17.
  29. ^ "Jet Li's Fearless". www.tcm.com. Retrieved 2021-07-17.
  30. ^ "Fearless (2006)". Hong Kong Movie Database. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
  31. ^ "Home - Box Office Mojo".
  32. ^ "Jet Li's Fearless (2006)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 18 April 2008.
  33. ^ A Kung Fu Swan Song
  34. ^ "Fearless - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.
  35. ^ "The CulturePulp Q&A: 'Fearless' director Ronny Yu". Archived from the original on 2009-09-27.
  36. ^ "Ronny Yu Will 'Kill First, Ask Later', Talks Fear Itself Episode". 11 October 2009.
  37. ^ "Blood: The Last Vampire". www.tcm.com. Retrieved 2021-07-17.
  38. ^ "'Blood: The Last Vampire' Live Action". ICv2. 19 May 2006. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
  39. ^ a b Lee, Maggie (11 June 2009). "Blood: The Last Vampire – Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 28 June 2009.
  40. ^ "Ronny Yu and Quint discuss Fearless, Jet Li's retirement and Blood: The Last Vampire!!". Ain't It Cool News. 14 September 2006. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
  41. ^ a b c d "Live Action Blood: The Last Vampire". Anime News Network. 3 November 2006. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
  42. ^ Leroy, Caroline (15 October 2007). "Blood : The Last Vampire : photo exclusive!". FilmsActu.com (in French). Mixicom. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
  43. ^ "1st Live-Action Blood: The Last Vampire Still Posted". Anime News Network. 16 October 2007. Retrieved 14 March 2008.
  44. ^ "Live-Action Blood: The Last Vampire Teaser Gets 450,000 Accesses". Anime News Network. 3 March 2009. Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  45. ^ "2 New Live-Action Blood: The Last Vampire Clips Posted". Anime News Network. 25 June 2009. Retrieved 25 June 2009.
  46. ^ "Sony Acquires Live-Action Blood: The Last Vampire's U.S. Rights (Update 3)". Anime News Network. 1 May 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
  47. ^ "Ponyo to Open on 800 U.S. Screens, Blood on at Least 11". Anime News Network. 4 June 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
  48. ^ "Blood: The Last Vampire – Foreign Box Office". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  49. ^ "Blood: The Last Vampire – Summary". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  50. ^ "Live-Action Blood Film Opens with Estimated US$103,000". Anime News Network. 13 July 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2009.
  51. ^ "In or Around LA? Then Here is Your Chance to Take Part in the Biggest A Nightmare on Elm Street Reunion Ever!". 8 September 2012.

Works cited

  • Bracke, Peter (2006), Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday The 13th, Titan Books, ISBN 978-1845763435
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