Ng See-yuen ( zh, , t=吳思遠; born 6 June 1944) is a
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
film producer, director, screenwriter and businessman.
He has been active in the
Hong Kong film industry since 1970, particularly in
action films
Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...
. He was one of the first filmmakers to find widespread success outside of the major studios of
Shaw Brothers
Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd. () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, and operated from 1925 to 2011.
In 1925, three Shaw brothers— Runje, Runme, and Runde—founded Tianyi Film Company (also called "Unique") in Shang ...
and
Golden Harvest, as the founder of
Seasonal Film Corporation, where he helped launch the careers of
Jackie Chan
Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...
,
Jimmy Wang Yu
Jimmy Wang Yu (; born Wang Zheng Quan; 28 March 1943 – 5 April 2022) was a Hong Kong-Taiwanese martial artist, actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. Initially a contract player for Shaw Brothers, he rose to fame for his starring ...
,
Corey Yuen
Corey Yuen (; born Ying Gang-ming (殷元奎); 15 February 1951) is a Hong Kong director, film director, producer, action choreographer, and former actor.
Yuen was a member of the Peking Opera Schools and one of the Seven Little Fortunes. As a ...
,
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg (, ; born 18 October 1960), known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme (, ), is a Belgian actor, martial artist, filmmaker, and fight choreographer. Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, at the a ...
,
Hiroyuki Sanada
is a Japanese actor and martial artist. He is best known to international audiences for his roles as Genbu in ''Ninja in the Dragon's Den'' (1982), Ryuji Takayama in ''Ring'' (1998), Seibei Iguchi in ''The Twilight Samurai'' (2002), Ujio in ''T ...
,
Jet Li
Li Lianjie (courtesy name Yangzhong; born 26 April 1963), better known by his stage name Jet Li, is a Chinese film actor, film producer, Chinese martial arts, martial artist, and retired wushu (sport), Wushu champion. He is a naturalized Singapo ...
and
Wu Jing. He has been twice nominated for the
Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film
The Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film is an annual Hong Kong industry award presented to the films which is considered the best of the year.
History
The award was established at the 1st Hong Kong Film Awards (1982) and the first winner and t ...
, for
''The Unwritten Law'' (1985) and
''The Soong Sisters'' (1997).
Ng is an Honorary President of the
Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild
The Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild (HKFDG; ) is an entertainment guild founded in 1989 to represent the interests of directors in the Hong Kong film industry. At the Hong Kong Film Awards
The Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA; ), founded in 1982, i ...
, a former President of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, and was President of the
Hong Kong Film Awards Association from 1995 to 2000. He is also a co-founder of the UME Huaxing International Cinema chain, and the owner of the
Hong Kong A1 Division basketball club Seasonal.
Early life
Ng See-yuen was born in
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
, the under Japanese occupation, on June 6, 1944. He and his family moved to
British Hong Kong
Hong Kong was a colony and later a dependent territory of the British Empire from 1841 to 1997, apart from a period of occupation under the Japanese Empire from 1941 to 1945 during the Pacific War. The colonial period began with the Briti ...
in 1961, where he attended
New Method College
New Method College (abbreviated to NMC) was a secondary school located in Black Rock Hill, Kowloon City District, Hong Kong. Its stated mission was "to recognise each student as an individual".http://www.nmc.edu.hk/c_mission/mission.html Miss ...
in
Kowloon
Kowloon () is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. With a population of 2,019,533 and a population density of in 2006, it is the most populous area in Hong Kong, compared with Hong Kong Island and t ...
. He worked as a security guard and a
secondary school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' secondary education, lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) ...
teacher before entering the film industry.
History
Filmmaking
His career in the industry began as an executive at
Shaw Brothers Studio
Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd. () was the largest film production company in Hong Kong, and operated from 1925 to 2011.
In 1925, three Shaw brothers— Runje, Runme, and Runde—founded Tianyi Film Company (also called "Unique") in Shangh ...
. The first film he was involved in was ''
The Chinese Boxer
''The Chinese Boxer'' (龙虎斗; also known by its international title ''The Hammer of God'') is a 1970 Hong Kong action kung fu film written, directed by and starring Jimmy Wang Yu. Tong Gaai was the action director. ''The Chinese Boxer'' was a ...
'' (1970), on which he worked as assistant director to film director
Jimmy Wang Yu
Jimmy Wang Yu (; born Wang Zheng Quan; 28 March 1943 – 5 April 2022) was a Hong Kong-Taiwanese martial artist, actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. Initially a contract player for Shaw Brothers, he rose to fame for his starring ...
.
In 1975, he founded
Seasonal Film Corporation. The first film produced by the company was ''
Secret Rivals
''Secret Rivals'' () a.k.a. ''Northern Leg, Southern Fist'' aka ''Silver Fox Rivals'' is a 1976 kung fu film directed by James Nam and Ng See Yuen and starring Hwang Jang-lee, John Liu and Wong Tao. The film was shot on location in South Korea a ...
'' in 1976, which Ng also directed.
Ng produced and co-wrote ''
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow
Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more joints ...
'' (1978) and ''
Drunken Master
''Drunken Master'' () is a 1978 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film directed by Yuen Woo-ping, and starring Jackie Chan, Yuen Siu-tien, and Hwang Jang-lee. It was a success at the Hong Kong box office, earning two and a half times the amount of ...
'', which were the first films directed by
Yuen Woo-ping and were
Jackie Chan
Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...
's first real successes at the domestic box office.
In 1985, Ng was the first Hong Kong producer to make a film in the USA that successfully showed the Hong Kong style of action, when he worked with
Corey Yuen
Corey Yuen (; born Ying Gang-ming (殷元奎); 15 February 1951) is a Hong Kong director, film director, producer, action choreographer, and former actor.
Yuen was a member of the Peking Opera Schools and one of the Seven Little Fortunes. As a ...
on ''
No Retreat, No Surrender
''No Retreat, No Surrender'' is a 1985 martial arts film directed by Corey Yuen in his American film directorial debut. The film stars Kurt McKinney, with a supporting cast of Jean-Claude Van Damme, J.W. Fails, Kathie Sileno and Tai-chung Ki ...
'', which starred then unknowns
Kurt McKinney
Kurt Robin McKinney is an American actor. McKinney played Jason Stillwell in the 1986 martial arts film ''No Retreat, No Surrender''.
Early years
A native of Louisville, Kentucky, McKinney graduated from Ninth and O Christian School and atten ...
and
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg (, ; born 18 October 1960), known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme (, ), is a Belgian actor, martial artist, filmmaker, and fight choreographer. Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, at the a ...
.
Other notable films that Ng See-yuen worked on include ''
Ninja in the Dragon's Den
''Ninja in the Dragon's Den'' () is a 1982 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Corey Yuen in his feature film directorial debut, who also writer with Ng See-yuen, who also producer. It stars Conan Lee, Hiroyuki Sanada and Hwang Jang-lee. ...
'' (as co-writer and producer) and ''
Legend of a Fighter
''Legend of a Fighter'' (in Chinese 霍元甲) is a 1982 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Yuen Woo-ping, and produced by Ng See-yuen, who also wrote the screenplay with Leung Lap-yan and Wong Jing. The film stars Bryan Leung, Yasuaki Kura ...
'' (as producer and writer), both in 1982. He also co-produced Jackie Chan's 1992 film ''
Twin Dragons
''Twin Dragons'' (also known as ''Shuang long hui'' and ''Brother vs. Brother'') is a 1992 Hong Kong action comedy film directed by Ringo Lam and Tsui Hark, and starring Jackie Chan in a double role as identical twin brothers separated at birt ...
'', and four of the
''Once Upon a Time in China'' series''.
Still working in the industry, he produced
Alfred Cheung
Alfred Cheung '' (; born 28 December 1955) is a Chinese actor, director, writer and producer.
Early life
Cheung's mother, with one suitcase and two children, left their hometown in China in order to find better opportunities in Hong Kong. Cheung ...
's
romantic comedy
Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...
''
Contract Lover
A contract is a legally enforceable agreement between two or more parties that creates, defines, and governs mutual rights and obligations between them. A contract typically involves the transfer of goods, services, money, or a promise to tran ...
'' in 2007, and is credited as presenter for the 2008 film ''
Legendary Assassin
''Legendary Assassin'' () is a 2008 Hong Kong action film directed by Wu Jing in his directorial debut, who also starred in the lead role, and also features fight choreography by Nicky Li. The film also marks the screen debut of singer, songwri ...
''.
Other industry roles
Ng See-yuen is an Honorary Advisor and jury member for the
Asian Film Awards
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
. He holds several additional titles including Chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, Honorary Permanent President of the Hong Kong Film Directors' Guild, and Advisor of the
Hong Kong International Film Festival
The Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF), is one of Asia’s oldest international film festivals. Founded in 1976, the festival features different movies, filmmakers from different countries in Hong Kong.
HKIFF screens around 230 films ...
.
In April 2007, he became an official member of the Hong Kong Film Development Council. In this capacity, he has been a vocal advocate for the introduction of a
motion picture rating system
A motion picture content rating system classifies films based on their suitability for audiences due to their treatment of issues such as sex, violence, or substance abuse; their use of profanity; or other matters typically deemed unsuitable for c ...
in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
and has spoken out on issues such as Mainland China's policies toward the co-production of films with other nations and censorship.
Ng is also the founder of "UME International Cineplex," one of the largest cinema chains in China,
with five-star cineplexes in Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chongqing, Hangzhou and an
IMAX
IMAX is a proprietary system of high-resolution cameras, film formats, film projectors, and theaters known for having very large screens with a tall aspect ratio (approximately either 1.43:1 or 1.90:1) and steep stadium seating.
Graeme F ...
cineplex in Beijing. "UME" is an acronym for Ultimate Movie Experience.
Filmography
As director
* ''
Feng kuang sha shou'' (1971)
* ''
Bloody Fists'' (1972); also writer
* ''
Kung Fu, the Invisible Fist'' (1972); also writer
* ''
Meng hu xia shan'' (1973)
* ''
Call Me Dragon
Call or Calls may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Games
* Call, a type of betting in poker
* Call, in the game of contract bridge, a bid, pass, double, or redouble in the bidding stage
Music and dance
* Call (band), from Lahore, Paki ...
'' (1974); also producer and writer
* ''
Little Superman'' (1974); also writer
* ''
The Godfather Squad'' (1974); also writer
* ''
Shi san hao xiong zhai
Shi or SHI may refer to:
Language
* ''Shi'', a Japanese title commonly used as a pronoun
* ''Shi'', proposed gender-neutral pronoun
* Shi (kana), a kana in Japanese syllabaries
* Shi language
* ''Shī'', transliteration of Chinese Radical 44 ...
'' (1975)
* ''
Lian zheng feng bo'' (1975); also writer
* ''
Secret Rivals
''Secret Rivals'' () a.k.a. ''Northern Leg, Southern Fist'' aka ''Silver Fox Rivals'' is a 1976 kung fu film directed by James Nam and Ng See Yuen and starring Hwang Jang-lee, John Liu and Wong Tao. The film was shot on location in South Korea a ...
'' (1976)
* ''
Kung-Fu Sting'' (1976); also writer
* ''
Bruce Lee: The Man, The Myth'' (1976); also writer
* ''
Kidnap in Rome'' (1976); also producer
* ''
Secret Rivals 2
''Secret Rivals 2'' (), a.k.a. ''Silver Fox Rivals II'', is a 1977 Hong Kong martial arts-action film starring Hwang Jang Lee, John Liu and Tino Wong.
Plot
The film picks up almost exactly where the original ''Secret Rivals'' ended, namely wit ...
'' (1977); also producer and co-writer
* ''
The Invincible Armour
''Invincible Armor'' is a 1977 Hong Kong-Taiwanese martial arts film, kung fu film starring Hwang Jang-lee, John Liu (actor), John Liu, and Tino Wong.
Plot
On patrol through town, Ming Dynasty, Ming General Chow (Liu) observes a fighter, Hu Lu ...
'' (1977)
* ''
What Price Stardom?'' (1977); also producer
* ''
The Ring of Death'' (1980); also producer and writer
* ''
Game of Death II
''Game of Death II'', also known as ''Tower of Death'' () or ''The New Game of Death'', is a 1981 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Ng See-yuen and starring Bruce Lee, Tong Lung, Huong Cheng Li and Roy Horan. This film was marketed as a ...
'' (1980); also producer
* ''
Tiger and Crane Shaolin Kung Fu'' (1982)
* ''
The Unwritten Law'' (1985); also producer and writer
* ''
The Music Box
''The Music Box'' is a Laurel and Hardy short film comedy released in 1932. It was directed by James Parrott, produced by Hal Roach and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The film, which depicts the pair attempting to move a piano up a long f ...
'' (2006); (uncredited)
* ''
Evening of Roses'' (2009); also producer
As producer
* ''
Hong lou chun shang chun'' (1978)
* ''
Snake in the Eagle's Shadow
Snakes are elongated, limbless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with several more joints ...
'' (1978); also writer
* ''
Drunken Master
''Drunken Master'' () is a 1978 Hong Kong martial arts comedy film directed by Yuen Woo-ping, and starring Jackie Chan, Yuen Siu-tien, and Hwang Jang-lee. It was a success at the Hong Kong box office, earning two and a half times the amount of ...
''(1978); also writer
* ''
Dance of the Drunk Mantis
''Dance of the Drunk Mantis'' () is a 1979 Hong Kong kung fu film directed by Yuen Siu-tien's real-life son Yuen Woo-ping, and produced by Ng See-yuen, who also writer with Lung Hsiao. It stars Yuen Siu-tien, Hwang Jang-lee, Linda Lin, Yuen ...
'' (1979); also writer
* ''
The Butterfly Murders
''The Butterfly Murders'' is a 1979 Hong Kong ''wuxia'' film directed by Tsui Hark. It has elements of history and a murder mystery. The film is not widely available on tape or DVD in the West (there is a German and a French DVD release), thoug ...
'' (1979)
* ''
She mao he hun xing quan'' (1980)
* ''
We're Going to Eat You
''We're Going to Eat You'' ( zh, 地獄無門) is a 1980 Hong Kong horror comedy film directed by Tsui Hark. The film is about a secret agent, Agent 999, who is attempting to capture a thief named Rolex. Agent 999's hunt leads him to a village t ...
'' (1980)
* ''
Ta Bei wu ai'' (1980)
* ''
Shuang la'' (1980)
* ''
The Sweet and Sour Cops'' (1981); also writer
* ''
Legend of a Fighter
''Legend of a Fighter'' (in Chinese 霍元甲) is a 1982 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Yuen Woo-ping, and produced by Ng See-yuen, who also wrote the screenplay with Leung Lap-yan and Wong Jing. The film stars Bryan Leung, Yasuaki Kura ...
'' (1982); also writer
* ''
Ninja in the Dragon's Den
''Ninja in the Dragon's Den'' () is a 1982 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Corey Yuen in his feature film directorial debut, who also writer with Ng See-yuen, who also producer. It stars Conan Lee, Hiroyuki Sanada and Hwang Jang-lee. ...
'' (1982); also writer
* ''
The Sweet and Sour Cops Part II'' (1982)
* ''
Hao cai zhuang dao ni'' (1984); also writer
* ''
No Retreat, No Surrender
''No Retreat, No Surrender'' is a 1985 martial arts film directed by Corey Yuen in his American film directorial debut. The film stars Kurt McKinney, with a supporting cast of Jean-Claude Van Damme, J.W. Fails, Kathie Sileno and Tai-chung Ki ...
'' (1986); also writer
* ''
Hun wai qing'' (1988)
* ''
Walk on Fire'' (1988)
* ''
Once Upon a Time in China II
''Once Upon a Time in China II'' is a 1992 Hong Kong martial arts film written and directed by Tsui Hark, and starring Jet Li as Chinese martial arts master and folk hero of Cantonese ethnicity, Wong Fei-hung. It is the second instalment in the ...
'' (1992)
* ''
Once Upon a Time in China III
''Once Upon a Time in China III'' is a 1993 Hong Kong martial arts film written, produced and directed by Tsui Hark, starring Jet Li as Chinese martial arts master and folk hero of Cantonese ethnicity, Wong Fei-hung. It is the third installment ...
'' (1993)
* ''
Once Upon a Time in China IV
''Once Upon a Time in China IV'' is a 1993 Hong Kong–Chinese martial arts film and the fourth installment in the ''Once Upon a Time in China'' film series. It was directed by Yuen Bun in his directorial debut and produced by Tsui Hark, who dir ...
'' (1993)
* ''
Once Upon a Time in China V
''Once Upon a Time in China V'' is a 1994 Hong Kong–Chinese martial arts action film written and directed by Tsui Hark. The film is the fifth installment in the ''Once Upon a Time in China'' film series, with Vincent Zhao reprising his role as ...
'' (1994)
* ''
Ren yue huang hun'' (1995)
* ''
The Soong Sisters
The Soong sisters () were Soong Ai-ling, Soong Ching-ling, and Soong Mei-ling, three Shanghainese (of Hakka descent) Christian Chinese women who were, along with their husbands, amongst China's most significant political figures of the early 20 ...
'' (1997)
References
Some additional film information taken fro
Ng See-yuen's entrya
HK Cinemagic
External links
Ng See-Yuen at hkmdb.comThe Hong Kong Film Services Office
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ng, See-Yuen
1944 births
Asian film producers
Chinese film directors
Chinese film producers
Chinese screenwriters
Film directors from Shanghai
Hong Kong film directors
Hong Kong film producers
Hong Kong screenwriters
Living people
Members of the Election Committee of Hong Kong, 2017–2021
Members of the Selection Committee of Hong Kong
Screenwriters from Shanghai