The Flock
Release Date:
August TBA, 2007
Limited release
The name Wai Keung Lau might not mean anything to you. Unless you are the most diehard of cinema buffs, even the man's more recognized name, Andy Lau, might not mean much. If we discuss the Hong Kong director's movies, however, there will be familiarity with the work. The 46-year-old Lau's first Chinese productions included such magnificently translated titles as Ultimate Vampire, Raped by an Angel, and God of Fist Style. He built his reputation through the Young and Killer franchise (trust me, it's a big deal in some parts of the world) before striking box office gold with Infernal Affairs. For those of you who missed the project during its small-scale North American theatrical release (final box office of roughly $90,000), here is all you need to know. An American re-make of the first film in the series comes out in October. The movie is entitled The Departed and it stars Matt Damon. And Leonardo DiCaprio. And Jack Nicholson. And it is directed my Martin Scorsese. Obviously, we are talking about a project that excites a lot of important people. That says a lot about the skill set of Wai Keung Lau.
With The Flock, Lau is now prepared to take on North America with his first English-language production featuring a primarily western cast. American Gigolo Richard Gere, Shopgirl Claire Danes and even aspiring actress Avril Lavigne have joined the cast. Gere and Dane portray federal agents attempting to track down a young girl they believe is the link a paroled sex offender who may have gone back to his old ways. Gere, the grizzled veteran and Dane, his protege, must unravel a series of clues before the man kills his next victim. Okay, this sounds rather cliche but the presence of Lau gives BOP confidence that the project could be a huge sleeper for film buffs. The project has a relatively modest budget of $35 million, so Bauer Martinez Distribution isn't risking a whole lot here if we're wrong. (David Mumpower/BOP)
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