Breaking News (2004 film)

Breaking News
Traditional	大事件
Simplified	大事件
Mandarin	Dà Shì Jiàn
Cantonese	Daai6 Si6 Gin2
Directed by	Johnnie To
Produced by	Johnnie To Cao Biao
Written by	Chan Hing-kai Yip Tin-shing Milkyway Creative Team
Starring	Richie Jen Kelly Chen Nick Cheung Eddie Cheung Simon Yam Maggie Shiu
Music by	Ben Cheung Chung Chi-wing
Cinematography	Cheng Siu-keung
Edited by	David M. Richardson
Production company	Media Asia Films China Film Group Milkyway Image
Distributed by	Media Asia Distribution
Release dates	10 June 2004 (2004-06-10)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	Hong Kong
Language	Cantonese Mandarin English
Box office	US$1,028,420[1]

Breaking News (Chinese: 大事件) is a 2004 Hong Kong action film produced and directed by Johnnie To, and starring Richie Jen, Kelly Chen, Nick Cheung, Eddie Cheung, Simon Yam and Maggie Shiu. The film premiered out of competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.^[2]

Plot

The Hong Kong Police finds itself in a public relations crisis after a disastrous shootout and the scene of a police officer surrendering in apparent fear to the mobsters was captured and telecast by the local media. Inspector Cheung and his crew are assigned to the task of catching these mobsters, led by the intelligent and resourceful Yuen.

In the meantime, Superintendent Rebecca Fong leads an effort on the part of the Hong Kong Police to mislead the media and salvage the reputation of the police team. She sees the chance in a raid on the mobsters hiding out in an apartment, while Inspector Cheung leads his own team to search for the mobsters, with many gunfights breaking out in between.

Yuen hides out in the apartment of Yip, a bumbling taxi driver and single father of two. With the reluctant help of Yip's computer whiz son, he plays an intricate cat and mouse game with the police, releasing suspicious images of the police being defeated to the media. Superintendent Fong thwarts the effort with tricks of her own, including releasing a sumptuous packed lunch to the numerous squads on duty. After PTU officers were defeated in the first raid attempt, SDU operators were called in to flush out Yuen and his fellow mobsters.

Inspector Cheung successfully tracks down Yuen, though he is defeated only after a high-octane chase and gunfight sequence, with Fong held hostage.

Cast

• Richie Jen as Yuen
• Kelly Chen as Superintendent Rebecca Fong
• Nick Cheung as Inspector Cheung
• Eddie Cheung as Eric Yeung
• Benz Hui as Hoi
• Lam Suet as Yip
• You Yong as Chun
• Ding Haifeng as Lung
• Li Haitao as Chung
• Simon Yam as Asst. Commissioner Wong (special appearance)
• Maggie Shiu as Grace Chow (special appearance)
• Wong Chi-wai as Wang
• Wong Wah-wo as White Hair
• Alan Chui as Chun's target

^{[3] [4]}

Awards and nominations

Remakes

A remake of Breaking News has been set up by independent film company Gold Circle Films and art house film distributor Paramount Vantage. American film director Joel Schumacher is in talks to direct the remake.

Another remake called Goryachie Novosti (international title: Newsmakers) has been shot in Russia. It is produced by Moscow-based Tandem Pictures and Gothenburg's Illusion Film and helmed by young Swedish director Anders Banke. The Russian/Swedish version of Breaking News was theatrically released in Russia and ex-USSR on 7 May 2009.^[5]

See also

• List of Hong Kong films
• Johnnie To filmography

References

External links

• Official website US
• Breaking News at the Internet Movie Database