The Hollywood Reporter has dropped the news that Owen Wilson and Jackie Chan have decided to reignite their bromance once again with another sequel to their surprise hit Shanghai Noon.
The cross-cultural buddy action comedy was a big winner when it was released in 2000 and was followed by the less than stellar London-set sequel Shanghai Knights in 2003. The reason for the extended wait in between sequels isn’t clear, but it seems that MGM has been working on getting the pair back together for years, and for whatever reason their hard work has finally paid off. The movie is currently titled Shanghai Dawn, and looks to start filming once the negotiations with Wilson and Chan finish.
The big news that comes out of this story though is the choice of director, Napoleon Dynamite helmer Jared Hess. The independent wunderkind has been a bit low-key of late. Nacho Libre and Gentleman Broncos didn’t exactly set the world on fire, and his latest comedy Masterminds has been caught up in the extended bankruptcy proceedings of backing studio Relativity (it’s due for US release September 30).
As unnecessary as the sequel may be, I’m not sure anyone was really crying out to see what the characters were up to now, I like the choice of Hess for this movie. His distinct style and voice might make this a little more than just a cash grab for two stars that haven’t exactly been front of mind lately.
We’ll update you with more as more details become available, but what do you think? Ready for another ride in the saddle with Chon Wang and Roy O’Bannon?