Still, his latest venture,The Prosecutor, a legal drama/action hybrid, gave even Yen pause.
He said that he wants you to direct it.
DONNIE YEN: It is true.
Image via Lionsgate
Do you think this is going to happen?
I don’t know, Steve.
I can only tell you that much.
Image via Lionsgate
But yes, we are talking, and we are talking intimately.
We’ll see what happens.
I need this to happen.
This is going to be fantastic.
I give a shot to do my best to bring something fresh to the franchise itself.
I don’t want to bring down the expectations for all the fans.
I venture to do my best.
Like always, I attempt to do my best.
YEN: He better be there!
I really hope it ends up happening.
Donnie Yen Didnt Initially Want to Direct The Prosecutor
I do action movies.
Hopefully, you’ll find this fun.
This is a true or false question aboutThe Prosecutor.
Is it true that you only made this movie so you could direct your dad in the film?
YEN: [Laughs] Of course not.
I didn’t want to do this movie in the first place.
My friends are the producers for theIp Manseries as well asFlash Point.
I do action movies.
But they were really convinced that in their minds, that character in the original script…
They know me, and they think that I’m the perfect person to play that character.
They want to see action.
Sometimes, these kinds of stories can be very forceful.
I didn’t want it to be forceful.
I wanted it to be entertaining.
But then, after you watch the movie, there’s a deeper message behind the film.
You mentioned this film has action and it’s also a courtroom drama.
Secondly, it’s the pacing of the story.
To me, when we watch movies, it’s possible for you to’t hey everybody.
Everybody watches movies from different perspectives.
you might’t say, Oh no, I want to make a movie that pleases everybody.
You have the popcorn lover audiences and then you have film noir, right?
What is the reaction?
From every scene to every single shot.
When I do the shot, when I do the scenes, is my audience still with me?
And how excited are they?
There were a couple of moments where I was really sure that I could have them going.
For example, from day one, the fighting scene at the end Iknowthat it’s going to work.
They’re going to feel the same pressure as my character in the film that’s going to work.
We showed the film in many territories and that’s one of the favorite scenes of audiences.
You’re very selective with your directing.
You haven’t directed many films, and I’m curious, what is your favorite part of directing?
Some filmmakers I’ve spoken to love the shoot and hate the editing, and others, vice versa.
YEN: Thats a very good question, Steve.
So, right before, I took on the role as a director.
After that, I directed a few films.
I helped him shape and shot the action scenes.
He was sick, and I helped him do it.
Then, I went on to directSakra.
I don’t know why I took that job, but I did it anyway.
Then, this is what I did my latest work,The Prosecutor.
And I dedicated myself.
I didn’t do anything else.
I spent a whole year doing this movie.
So, to be fair,I think this really represents what kind of director I am.
The ‘John Wick’ standout has shined in numerous international films for decades.
Which is why I said let’s have you direct that Caine movie.
YEN: [Laughs] I have to flesh it out.
I have a couple of ideas in my mind of how I would like the story to go.
But we’ll see.
But they’ve been very persistent, and they’ve been very passionate about me taking on this project.
We’ll see what happens, and I’ll do my best.
YEN: I want to double-check it’s going to be a lot of fun.
Did you enjoy pulling back the curtain and showing all that stuff on set and you directing?
YEN: I producedThe Prosecutorwith Mandarin Films.
I actually produced this documentary.
Unfortunately, the Western audience cannot understand the language barrier.
It’s just a certain language of expressions on the set.
There’s no holding punches.
I want to let the audience see.
Ultimately, that is how I felt, and I wanted to share it with the world.
it’s possible for you to learn a lot about how you work.
What did you learn from those early screenings that impacted the finished film?
I think it was overall about how I pace the film.
There are one or two scenes I took out, ultimately.
I wanted to keep the scene between me and Kent Cheng he’s the funny guy.
I thought, I really like this scene.
Ultimately,if you’re watching a Donnie Yen action movie, I want to grasp them.
I don’t want them to be like, I’m going to go to the toilet.
[Laughs]
So, you have to make these hard decisions on a daily basis.
I spent three months in the editing room.
So, I believe, ultimately, this is the final version.
There’s no end to it.it’s possible for you to always be fine-tuning and always find little things.
it’s possible for you to perfect the film.
Listen, I know people who have edited for a year.
YEN: Yeah, absolutely.
I always wait until the last second.
The producer, the film company is like, Donnie, this week we’re going to shoot this.
I say, Give me a couple more days.
I need more days.
[Laughs]
The Prosecutoris in select theaters now.
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