The new film, directed by Gu Dezhao and starring Eason Chan and Li Ronghao, will be officially released on January 12. For many viewers, this is undoubtedly a surprise collaboration, because this is the first collaboration between "God of Songs" Eason Chan and "King of Songs" Li Ronghao. Originally, the audience had already heard ear oil when listening to their songs, and this time they have to act together, which can be called welfare!
In fact, it is by no means the first time in our memory that people in the music industry have collaborated on movies at the level of singers. Especially since the 1980s, such works have been "countless" and have frequently produced classics. So before looking forward to the debut of Eason Chan and Li Ronghao, two "singers", we might as well take a look at how many music superstars have collaborated on the screen along the way.
The 1980s: a hundred flowers bloom
In the peak era of the Hong Kong music scene, whether it was the trend of "Tan Zhang’s competition for hegemony", or the far-reaching "Hong Kong Song God", as well as the popular "Song Yin" and "Idol Sect", as long as the film was made, it was often a box office guarantee + topic responsibility, and it was also a strength to tell the audience that the real "Wang Jianwang" should sing and shadow!
1. Xu Guanjie vs Leslie Cheung
"New Best Partner" & "Flower Field Wedding"
When it comes to the collaboration between "Song God" and "Brother", the two not only have a classic hit song like "Silence is Gold" in the music world, but also made two appearances in the film industry during the Spring Festival. In 1989’s "New Best Partner", the two played two generations of "Best Partner" members, who changed from "opponent" to "friend" due to a terracotta warrior theft case, and finally fought against the big boss together. The film is not only Xu Guanjie’s first starring work after recovering from mountain sickness, but also Zhang Guorong’s last starring work before quitting the music world. Therefore, in addition to showing their skills, the two also sang the theme song "I Have Never Been Surprised", which is of great significance.
Four years later (1993), Xu Guanjie completed his farewell concert in the music world, and retired with honor after filming the last two films with Huang Baiming; at the same time, Leslie Cheung officially signed with Huang Baiming’s newly established "Oriental Film Company", which promoted the cooperation of another New Year’s movie "Flower Field Wedding". In the film, the two played "Little Bawang Zhou Tong" and "Magic Gao Baifei" respectively, and tried their skills as soon as they appeared. Later, Xu Guanjie also "kissed" Zhang Guorong, which can be said to be another classic cooperation since the two "honorably retired from Huixing", showing the tacit understanding and charm of "Wang Jianwang"!
2. Alan Tam vs Andy Lau
"Jianghu Love" & "Dragon Family" & "Supreme" & "Rich Corps" & "Supreme Plan Champion" & "Shocking 12 Hours"
One was the most popular male singer in the Hong Kong music scene in the 1980s, and the other was the most representative Tianwang in the Hong Kong music scene in the 1990s. Alan Tam and Andy Lau’s cooperation began as early as 1987, thanks to the fact that both of them were artists under the "Arts Group" (founded by Alan Tam’s relative Cheung Kwok-zhong) at that time. To paraphrase the gossip, when Andy Lau was banned by TVB, he tried to sell tickets to Alan Tam’s concert. Tan once "persuaded" Andy Lau to concentrate on being an actor and not to be a singer: "You are not so good at singing… unless you work very hard." Andy’s reply was: "You believe me, I will definitely do it, I will work very hard." Finally, the dream of Tianwang was realized.
"The Supreme Champion"
Going back to the movies, "Principal" and "Andy" have collaborated on 6 or 7 films, playing friends who share the same hardships and die together: sometimes the principal saves Andy ("Jianghu Love"), sometimes Andy "dies" for the principal ("Supreme"), sometimes they show their fists together ("Dragon Family", "Rich Corps"), sometimes they win and lose together at the card table ("Supreme Count Champion"), and sometimes they even face a hail of bullets overseas ("Shocking 12 Hours"), which can be described as colorful.
The Supreme.
Moreover, what these films have in common is that the box office is very good. In 1989, "Supreme" ranked fifth among the top ten best-selling films in Hong Kong that year (23 million Hong Kong dollars), and brought about the "gambling film" boom in the film industry – in other words, because of the success of the film, the later "God of Gamblers", so this pair of "Wang Jianwang" also gave birth to classics.
"The Rich Corps"
By the way, in 1990, the two were also selected as two of the five male stars of "Hong Kong’s top ten beautiful people" (the other three were Chow Yun-fat, Cheung Guorong and Chan Baiqiang). Just by looking at the appearance, you can know what is called Song Ying Yan Sanqi.
"Jianghu Love"
3. Alan Tam VS Lin Zixiang
Gong Xi Fa Cai.
Many people may not have imagined that the first film collaboration between "The King of Singers" and "Ge Yin" in the Hong Kong music industry was also a comedy released during the Spring Festival, and with the fame of the two at that time, this "Gong Xi Fa Cai" also entered the 1985 Hong Kong Top Ten Movies.
Even if they only talk about the music world, the two have no shortage of classic collaborations, such as co-hosting TV shows in the late 1970s, filming MV for Teresa Teng in the early 1980s, and singing a scene of "Ten Ten Inch" on the top ten hit songs in 1985, which is one of the classic scenes in the history of Hong Kong pop music!
In this "Gong Xi Fa Cai", the two play "Tianwai Cai Xian" and "unscrupulous profiteer" respectively, but the principal "tricked" Ah Lam – let him sing a big play and rob a bank, and Ah Lam was sent to a neurological hospital, which made people laugh. So far, the two have only collaborated on this drama, which is really not enjoyable enough for the audience.
4. Andy Lau VS Lin Zixiang
"The Best Boyfriend"
When it comes to Lin Zixiang’s most promising newcomer in the 1980s, Andy Lau bears the brunt, and can even be said to be his noble person. At the beginning of Andy’s debut, he was supported by Lin Zixiang, especially during the performance of Andy’s debut novel "Joining the Sea", Lin Zixiang often sang with him on the spot and encouraged him to develop into a singer. Seven years after "Joining the Sea", when the two collaborated on "Best Boyfriend", Andy was already a professional singer with several albums, which shows Lin Zixiang’s precise vision.
5. Leslie Cheung VS Chen Baiqiang
"Cheers" & "Unemployed" & "Merry Christmas"
In the Hong Kong music scene in the 1980s, Chan Pak-keung could be said to be the first true "idol singer", and from 1981 to 1983, he became the most popular male singer in Hong Kong, surpassing Xu Guanjie, Tam Elin, Lin Zixiang, etc. Even 25 years after his death, his "I Just Like You" and "What Do I Want in Life" are still popular Cantonese songs sung in the streets. And one of his best friends at the beginning of his debut was of course "brother" Cheung Kwok Wing. On the one hand, the two were artists under the "Gold Manager" Tam Kwok-kee at that time. On the other hand, the two collaborated on films such as "Cheers" and "Unemployed". On the other hand, they were also very popular. The former box office was closer to 3 million Hong Kong dollars, breaking the box office record of Hong Kong-made youth films.
In these two works, the two superstars who were in the era of "Little Fresh Meat" played each other’s classmates, "Applause" had an extra layer of "opponent" relationship (singing in the music competition), and Leslie Cheung’s "rebellion" and Chen Baiqiang’s "well-behaved" characters were also one of the most classic memories of Hong Kong audiences at that time. But perhaps "drama is like life". After filming "Unemployed Students", both of them refused to cooperate with each other in films, just like "A Bao" and "Young Master" in the film parted ways.
In 1984, the two once again "cooperation" "Merry Christmas", the film box office as high as 25 million Hong Kong dollars, not only was the year’s top ten hit film runner-up, so far is still the Hong Kong ten highest-viewed film seventh (about 2.31 million people), if on time under the Hong Kong average ticket price, the box office has exceeded 100 million Hong Kong dollars! But according to director Gao Zhisen recall, the two completely do not want to see each other in the shooting scene, even the last scene to use a double (although the brother appeared back)! But at the same time, the two people do not mind "Wang Jianwang" in the music industry, 1985 brother first concert, Chen Baiqiang system update as a guest and chorus "Cheers", it can be seen that the feelings are still there.
Now that the two kings of the music world have passed away, it is even more heartening to revisit the classic movies.
6. Leslie Cheung VS Andy Lau
"The True Story of Ah Fei" & "New Shanghai Beach"
If the Hong Kong entertainment industry is selected as "the best-looking male star in history", Leslie Cheung and Andy Lau will definitely be selected. Since they are not from the same era, they have little intersection in the music industry. However, when Andy Tsai’s music industry rose in 1990, the two still achieved their first "Wang Jianwang" with a "The True Story of Ah Fei". Watching the opposite play of the two is a typical portrayal of "acting skills + face value".
Six years later, the two of them collaborated on "New Shanghai Beach" again, and the two legendary images of "Xu Wenqiang" and "Ding Li" were also not incompatible. Therefore, although brother and Andy did not cooperate much, they finally got along well every time.
7. Leslie Cheung vs Jacky Cheung
The True Story of Ah Fei & Eastern Heretic and Western Poison
As early as the mid-1980s, although Jacky Cheung did not reach the level of "song god", he was already recognized as a "rising star" in the music industry. Later, he collaborated with his brother’s former manager Chen Shufen, which is also a portrayal of the fate of the two in the entertainment industry.
In the 1980s, although his brother and Jacky Cheung had an appointment to cooperate, they had different "levels" and did not go deep. In 1990, his brother quit the music scene, and the two finally "saw the king" in "The True Story of Ah Fei", but in terms of aura, Jacky Cheung was still a "little brother" in front of his brother at that time.
Four years later, the two collaborated on "Eastern Heretic Western Poison", which is summarized in one sentence: So you are Ouyang Feng and Hong Qigong like this! And in this play, my brother also became Jacky Cheung’s "agent".
The 1990s: The Four Heavenly Kings
If the 1980s was the peak of Hong Kong pop music, then the 1990s was the peak of entertainment superstars. During those 10 years, the legendary "Four Heavenly Kings" ruled the entire music scene, and the "Most Popular Male Singer" must have been produced among the four. The top ten Chinese/song hits accounted for half or even two-thirds, and the "Golden Melody Award" and "Sales Champion" could not escape their palms. In addition, they had countless fans on both sides of the Taiwan Strait and three places. Today, no one can replicate this glory that can rise to the level of "cultural influence"!
Of course, Hong Kong’s entertainment industry is characterized by "singing and acting". Naturally, the Four Heavenly Kings have been filming a lot (Andy Lau is particularly productive), and audiences have been expecting the four to co-star in a film, but it has not really been realized so far ("The Banquet of the Rich" is not included). So how many times have the four played opposite each other?
1. Andy Lau vs Jacky Cheung
"Mong Kok Carmen" & "Super School Fighter" & "Jianghu" &
Among the Four Heavenly Kings, Andy Lau and Jacky Cheung’s film collaboration lasted from the 1980s to 2016, which can be described as a "long love". Although in the music industry, the two "Wang can’t see the king" (Jacky Cheung admits that there is a "competitive mentality" with Andy Lau, and it is not common for the two to perform alone in the 1990s, and they will join the other two heavenly kings), the two often play "good brothers" in the film. The first is "Mong Kok Carmen", which is not only Wong Kar-wai’s directorial debut, but also the acting skills of the two heavenly kings are more recognized. Jacky Cheung also won the Academy Award for "Best Supporting Actor", which is still one of the masterpieces of the two’s film careers today.
In the 1990s "Super School Overlord", the two even performed "eating shoes" and "eating the refrigerator" stunts!
In 2004’s "Jianghu", the two continued the "boss" and "younger brother" images of "Carmen Mong Kok", and their aura was equal.
In 2016’s "Macao 3", although the two of them played very little (only playing table tennis and taking a group photo), it was enough to arouse the audience’s feelings for the "Four Heavenly Kings". Now it seems that Andy Lau and Jacky Cheung should belong to the "acting responsibility" of the "Four Heavenly Kings".
2. Andy Lau VS Guo Fucheng
"Nine One Condor Heroes" & "five hundred million Inspector Lei Luo Biography 2: Father and Son Feud" & "Machine Boy True and False Veyron" &
In contrast, the films that Andy worked with Chengcheng are more in line with the concept of "face value responsibility". In 1991, Andy established the "Sky Screen Film Company" and started filming the "September 1st Condor Heroes". At that time, Guo Fucheng was still not popular in Hong Kong, but Andy admired him very much, so he invited him to play the villain "Silver Fox" in the film. As a result, the two handsome guys had a lot of sparks. In addition to the box office hit, Chengcheng also nominated for the "Best Supporting Actor" at the Academy Awards, which can be described as a win-win situation.
One of the most impressive rivalry scenes is the "love affair" between the two heavenly kings.
In "five hundred million Inspector Leiluo Biography 2: Father and Son Feud", the two finally turned "enemy" into "pro", playing a father and son who went from "confrontation" to "understanding". This is the only time the two have performed a gunfight scene together so far. Of course, whether we let Chengcheng play Andy’s "son" or Andy plays "old man" in front of Chengcheng, maybe we will never see it again.
In 1992, Andy’s "Tianmu" company produced another "The True and False Dragon of the Machine Boy" and played the "retarded" and "genius" gang boss, and Chengcheng played his bodyguard. In this film, Chengcheng rarely appeared without the classic "Guo Fucheng Head" look. Instead, he used hair wax to comb into the "back head", but he was still equally handsome. After the cooperation of the three plays, Chengcheng’s character setting is relatively "cool" and even "angry youth", which is in sharp contrast to Andy’s comedy performances in "The Nine-Day Condor Heroes" and "The True and False Dragon of the Machine Boy".
Later, Chengcheng became one of the "Four Heavenly Kings", and the film cooperation with Andy was suspended. Of course, there were many performances in the music world at that time (Chengcheng was also a guest at Andy’s concert in 1994). It was not until 2012 that the two people jointly starred in "Chills", which "echoed" 19 years ago (1993) "Super School Overlord". The former Chengcheng starred in a cameo of Andy and the latter played a cameo of Chengcheng. But at this time, the roles played by the two who have become film giants are not what they used to be: a deputy commissioner of police, a director of security, and a powerful aura.
3. Andy Lau PK Dawn
"Dragons" & "Infernal Affairs 3: Ultimate Infernal"
Among the four heavenly kings, Andy Lau and Guo Fucheng may be "the king can’t see the king" because of their titles, but their feelings should have no impact. Although they have a "competitive" mentality with Jacky Cheung, they are not antagonistic in their relationship. But facing Dawn, they became recognized as "old enemies in the music world" at that time. Not only was PK powerful in the awards, but there were also reports of "disputes" and "fights" between the two factions of fans, so the two rarely appeared at the same time without the other two heavenly kings. It was not until 2010 that Andy’s concert, when Dawn appeared as a guest, cried and said that "after walking all the way, I realized that everyone was actually friends", and the public opinion really regarded it as "eliminating enmity".
In the 1990s, the two of them only co-starred in one "Dragon Teng Four Seas", but there were only two opposite scenes, which added up to less than 5 minutes. It can be seen that "cooperation" is quite taboo.
It was not until 10 years later that the two really had a rival play in "Infernal Affairs 3: The Ultimate Infernal". In fact, the conflict between Liu Jianming and Yang Jinrong was also one of the main lines of the third film, which was heavier than the one with Chen Yongren, and both the performance and the gimmick fully satisfied the audience. However, the gossip behind it was still boiling – it was rumored that Liming learned that Andy Lau’s salary was higher than his own, and he was so angry that he refused to take the role for a while. It can be seen that as long as the two cooperate, there will be turmoil, and it is better to act together less.
4. Jacky Cheung vs Dawn
"The Moon Shines on the East" & "Monster Beast City"
Although Liming minds co-starring with Andy Lau in a movie, he does not mind co-starring with Jacky Cheung. The first is that both of them are artists under "Polygold"; the second two have different routes (Jacky Cheung plays the main song, and Liming highlights the "Little Fresh Meat" attribute), so it will not be embarrassing or embarrassing to play opposite scenes.
But it was no coincidence that Andy Lau and Guo Fucheng had to "fight" for the first time in a rival play, and Jacky Cheung and Liming were no exception: for the first time, they collaborated on "The Moon Shines on the East of Jiandong" (in 1992, there was no "Four Heavenly Kings" at that time, but Jacky Cheung and Liming had already called Liu Dehua the "Three Musketeers"). In the climax scene, the two fisted and splashed with blood, and the purpose was only for one woman (Guan Zhilin). Speaking of which, this is the only time in the film where the Four Heavenly Kings cooperate with each other to fight for "love".
Of course, in terms of acting skills, Jacky Cheung’s performance in the film is still better than Dawn’s, especially the "prince" who has gone mad at the end to fulfill his lover and rival in love and commit suicide in the sea. It can be regarded as the most tragic scene in the film where the four heavenly kings cooperate with each other.
In the second "Monster Beast City", the two "turn enemies into friends" and play the colleagues of the SWAT team who capture monsters. But this time it is Tsui Hark who collaborates with them, so the friendship between the two in the film is diluted by each other’s love scenes with Li Jiaxin and Li Ruotong. So after watching the movie, we can remember that the two "Li Meimei" are very charming, but we don’t quite remember the spark of the rival scenes of the two heavenly kings. Maybe they both appeared in science fiction films as "Wenqing", which is a bit impressive, right?
Easter Egg: Andy Lau VS Jacky Cheung VS Guo Fucheng: "Super School Overlord"
1993 was the year when the "Four Heavenly Kings" were the most popular, and both competition and even grudges officially broke out in this year, so it was a fantasy that the four of them could cooperate in a movie! But Wang Jing still tried his best to pull three of the Heavenly Kings (although Guo Fucheng was only willing to make cameos) and became the biggest gimmick of the play. As long as they could stand together, the audience would watch it. Therefore, "Super School Overlord" also took more than 17 million at the box office as a bad movie, which is quite rare.
Of course, seeing this scene, many viewers will still consciously make up Ren Dahua’s "brain" as Dawn, and this drama has become the only "opponent drama" between Jacky Cheung and Guo Fucheng so far.
New Century: Unique
After the "Four Heavenly Kings" ended, the first "Heavenly Kings" to become popular in the Hong Kong music scene were undoubtedly Nicholas Tse and Eason Chan. Nicholas Tse became red to purple around 2000, such as "Love Because of Love", "Must Go", "Thank You for Your Love 1999" and other golden songs, which became the most classic memories of young people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait; Eason Chan gradually rose after 2001. "Ten Years" and "Next Year Today" became the golden songs of "Bad Street" in both the mainland and Hong Kong, and they are still well-deserved superstars today. In short, during the peak period of this "girlfriends", their music influence can be described as "one ride on the dust"!
Of course, they have also cooperated with the heavenly kings in the film industry to see who they are.
1. Nicholas Tse VS Xu Guanjie
"The Big Winner."
This is the last film that Xu Guanjie has starred in so far. Although it is not a match for the protagonist Nicholas Tse, it is a collaboration that spans 30 years of Hong Kong pop music. What’s more, one is still retiring, and the other is at the peak, which is another level of "Wang Jianwang".
2. Nicholas Tse VS Wu Bai
"Countercurrent."
Since they are both good at playing rock and roll, Nicholas Tse and Wu Bai must be very compatible both inside and outside the play. Of course, the first cooperation also needs to be "fierce", so there is this "Downstream". The two in the film are not only very cool in appearance, but also quite good in skills. Coupled with a good reputation, on the one hand, more people have invited Wu Bai to act, and on the other hand, Nicholas Tse has further opened up his style and market as an "action actor".
3. Nicholas Tse VS Andy Lau
The New Shaolin Temple.
In 2011, Nicholas Tse collaborated with Andy Lau for the first time in "New Shaolin Temple", even if he was willing to play the villain, but in the end the film also got him nominated for the Academy Award for "Best Supporting Actor". As the king of two generations, Andy Tse made more audiences know him by inviting Nicholas Tse as a concert guest, so Nicholas Tse has always been grateful to Andy, and this time "Wang Jianwang" also showed their acting skills.
4. Nicholas Tse VS Jay Chou
"The War Against Us"
In the new century, the two kings of Hong Kong and Taiwan "saw the king" for the first time, just like the cooperation between Nicholas Tse and Wu Bai in "Downstream", they must be "fierce" to attract the audience, not to mention that the two are such "unique" superstars, how can they not attract the audience’s attention?
In this collaboration, the two followed the classic "Brothers + Two Heroes" model of Hong Kong films, from Malaysia to helicopters and then to the sea ship. How popular can they be? Even if they don’t talk about their acting skills, they are full of gimmicks.
5. Eason Chan VS Guo Fucheng
"Charge"
In fact, Eason Chan cooperated with the king of music earlier than Nicholas Tse, and the first time was this "Charge". The two generations of kings co-starred in the duo, both gunfight and funny, with their own points of view. More importantly, through participating in different types of works, Eason Chan allowed more audiences to see his malleability in performance.
6. Eason Chan vs Andy Lau
"Brothers of Life and Death"
The former "Wireless Five Tigers" could not make up for Tony Leung, but with Eason Chan, the king of heaven, he did not lose. Although Eason Chan’s acting skills are still young in front of the other four tigers, he is also better at never having stage fright when performing such a serious police and bandit theme, and he has handled the role well, which shows that he is an actor himself. And the film is also very addictive to coreference with Andy Wai pistol, and the theme song "Brothers" co-written by the two (composed by Eason Chan and written by Andy Lau) is equally classic.
7. Eason Chan vs Lin Zixiang
"Wild Dog"
As a "hidden song", Lin Zixiang, who has faded out of the film industry after the new century, has also worked with Eason Chan. In fact, since Eason Chan’s debut, Lin Zixiang has been very optimistic about him. In addition to singing "Ten Inch" with him in concerts, he has also designated him to cover his classic song "Digital Life", which shows the fate of the two generations of "Heavenly Kings". The two are rare to play "opponents", and this time they have also done their homework. This film has also become another masterpiece of director Guo Zijian.
So over the past 30 years, there have been countless examples of the two great singers in the music industry "Wang Jianwang" in movies, and from the perspective of film standards, at least most of them have been regarded as classics by the audience. It can be seen that although they are singers, their acting is also full of spark. With this alone, how can you not look forward to "Undercover Superstar"?
