A Legend (simplified Chinese: 传说; traditional Chinese: 傳说) is a 2024 Chinese action fantasy film. It was written and directed by Stanley Tong and starred Jackie Chan, Lay Zhang, Guli Nazha and Aarif Rahman. It was released in China on July 10, 2024. The film is a standalone sequel to The Myth and Kung Fu Yoga, though their plots are largely unrelated, only sharing the general theme, and Chan portrays characters different from those seen in previous movies.
Plot
This is a story about a past life relationship, a sequel to The Myth. During an archaeological excavation, Professor Fang unearths a mysterious shamanic jade, which transports him and his assistant, Wang Jing, back to the Western Han dynasty. There, they transformed into fierce Han generals, leading cavalry across the vast Hexi grasslands in a battle against the Xiongnu to defend their homeland. Amidst the war, Professor Fang, now a warrior, crosses paths with the Xiongnu princess, Meng Yun, sparking a love story that spanned thousands of years. In search of the truth, Professor Fang, Wang Jing, and their friend Lei Zhen venture deep into an ancient glacier to uncover a long-lost sacred site, hoping to unveil the untold legend buried in time.
Cast
Production
- In January 2023, the film was registered with the National Film Administration. In February 2023, the film's lead actors were first exposed in Zhaosu County, Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang. In April of the same year, the film's main creative team appeared at the Beijing International Film Festival, released the first concept poster, and announced the list of leading actors. In May of the same year, the film entered the Cannes Film Festival trading market, revealing that the film's budget was 50 million US dollars. On July 28, the film was completed.
- The film's "Thousands of Horses and People" scene mobilized 1,090 herders and more than 6,000 horses to participate in the filming. AI technology was used in the film to recreate the image of Jackie Chan at the age of 27.
- On July 4, 2024, the film A Legend was roadshowed in Chengdu, where the creative team told the behind-the-scenes stories of the filming process.
- On July 9, 2024, the film was officially announced to be released on July 10, and the MV for the promotional song "Our Legend" sung by Jackie Chan was also released at the same time.
Reception
Released on July 10, 2024, in China, A Legend opened at third-place, earning 6.67 million yuan (US$934,959) on its opening day. It earned a final gross of US$11,164,000 in China. The World of Chinese reported, "The film received widespread criticism for its messy plot, poor acting, and the stiffness of the AI technology used to de-age Jackie Chan, making it an internet laughingstock for a few days. The much-maligned film now sits at a barely passable 5.1 out of 10 on Douban."
References
External links
- A Legend on Weibo (in Chinese)
- A Legend at Douban (in Chinese)
- A Legend at IMDb
