In an exclusive interview with AMFM Magazine’s Paul Salfen, legendary Hong Kong film producer and Oscar nominee Bill Kong admits he couldn’t sleep ahead of the June 12 release of his explosive new martial arts thriller The Furious — because this raw, father-driven story of vigilante justice is about to face its toughest critic: the audience. The man behind modern Asian cinema landmarks like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero opens up about pre-release nerves, the passion that still drives him after decades in the industry, and why this high-octane tale of a mute tradesman who will stop at nothing to rescue his abducted daughter is shaping up to be the ultimate Father’s Day blockbuster — one that demands to be experienced on the biggest screen possible.
The Furious, directed by Kenji Tanigaki, stars Xie Miao as mute tradesman Wang Wei, whose ordinary life in Hong Kong shatters when human traffickers kidnap his young daughter Rainy (Yang Enyou). When corrupt police refuse to help, Wei teams up with relentless journalist Navin (Joe Taslim) to carve a path of brutal martial arts justice through the criminal syndicate. Praised for its fluid, visceral choreography and unflinching vigilante energy, the film delivers non-stop action that demands to be seen on the biggest screen possible.
Kong admits the pressure is real. “I’m nervous now because it’s finally coming to the real boss of the world—you know, the audience,” he says. “I couldn’t sleep very well at night. I’m just restless. I’m so nervous.” With the film hitting theaters June 12, the veteran producer laughs that he’s “always” anxious before a release: “Every film have their own life… it’s just so unpredictable.”
Yet the story hits especially close to home as a Father’s Day release. “It’s perfect for Father’s Day because all of us would go barefoot and run [over]glass to save our daughters,” Kong agrees enthusiastically. He even jokes about the film’s most cathartic beat-down: “Usually you hit the guy five times… But we deliberately do it that he hit it ten times. Because… that guy is so bad… he deserved to be beat ten times.” Audiences, he hopes, will cheer the extra punishment handed to the child-abusing trafficker.
For aspiring filmmakers, Kong’s advice is simple and battle-tested: keep going. “If you keep at it, if you stay at it long enough, I think you will succeed… Don’t give up easily,” he urges. “Making movie… will give you tremendous pleasure in life… especially when you sit with the audience and enjoy the movie with them.”
He reflects on how his own perspective has evolved since the high-stakes days of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero. Back then, “a lot was at stake… you make it or [break it].” Now older and wiser, “we don’t care that much… but that doesn’t mean you can relax. We just enjoy doing a good movie.”
What keeps the fire burning? Pure passion. “We wake up every day very happy… What am I going to achieve today?” Kong says with a smile. One of his favorite memories from The Furious set was finally nailing the notoriously difficult Tiger Club sequence. “It was very difficult to make… everybody has to be on the right moment… But the final time, finally they got it,” he recalls. “That moment was very, very happy.”
Above all, Kong made The Furious for the theatrical experience. “I make this movie deliberately for the cinema… You’re captured in the cinema house and you’re immersed in the story… like a stage show,” he explains. “You need to be interactive with the people… screaming.”
Don’t miss The Furious in theaters starting June 12—because some stories, like the unbreakable bond between a father and daughter, are meant to be felt on the biggest screen possible.
