Breaking News (film)
Encyclopedia
Breaking News is a 2004
Hong Kong
action film directed by Johnnie To
. The film premiered out of competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival
.
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 a downtown 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.
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.
Hong Kong films of 2004
A list of films produced in Hong Kong in 2004:.-2004:-External links:* * Hong Kong films of 2004 at...
Hong Kong
Cinema of Hong Kong
The cinema of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language cinema, alongside the cinema of China, and the cinema of Taiwan...
action film directed by Johnnie To
Johnnie To
Johnnie To Kei-Fung, born 22 April 1955, is a Hong Kong film director and producer. Popular in his native Hong Kong, To has also found acclaim overseas...
. The film premiered out of competition at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival
2004 Cannes Film Festival
The 2004 Cannes Film Festival started on May 12 and ran until May 23. The Palme d'Or went to the American film Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore.-Jury:* Quentin Tarantino, President * Emmanuelle Béart * Edwidge Danticat * Tilda Swinton...
.
Plot
The Hong Kong PoliceHong Kong Police Force
The Hong Kong Police Force is the largest disciplined service under the Security Bureau of Hong Kong. It is the world's second, and Asia's first, police agency to operate with a modern policing system. It was formed on 1 May 1844, with a strength of 32 officers...
finds itself in a public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
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 a downtown 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
Packed lunch
thumb|A typical American bagged lunchthumb|[[Bento]] packed lunchA packed lunch is a lunch prepared at home and carried to be eaten somewhere else, such as school, a workplace, or at an outing...
to the numerous squads on duty. After PTU officers
Police Tactical Unit (Hong Kong)
The Police Tactical Unit is a paramilitary riot control unit of the Hong Kong Police Force. The Police Tactical Unit provides an immediate manpower reserve for use in any emergency, Unit companies are attached to all land Regions and are available for internal security, crowd control, anti-crime...
were defeated in the first raid attempt, SDU
Special Duties Unit
The Special Duties Unit is an elite paramilitary tactical unit of the Hong Kong Police Force. Established in July 1974, it is a sub-division of the Police Tactical Unit...
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 RenRichie RenRichie Jen is a Taiwanese singer and actor. He has become extremely popular throughout Asia, particularly in the Chinese-speaking countries. He graduated from the Chinese Culture University's physical education department.-Films:...
- Yuen - Kelly ChenKelly ChenKelly Chen is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress. Kelly has also been known as a diva in Asia. She has a great success in Asia Entertainment industry with nearly 20 million record sales of 38 albums...
- Superintendent Rebecca Fong - Haifeng Ding - Ah Lung
- Nick CheungNick CheungNick Cheung Ka-fai is a Hong Kong actor. He is married to actress Esther Kwan and the two have a daughter together named Brittany.Cheung was a Royal Hong Kong Police officer for five years and changed his career as an actor with ATV...
- Inspector Cheung - Cheung Siu-FaiCheung Siu-FaiEddie Cheung Siu-fai is a Hong Kong actor best known for his many supporting or everyman roles similar to Liu Kai-chi.-Filmography:-TV series:-External links:* on Sina Weibo* at the Hong Kong Cinemagic* on LoveHKFilm.com...
- Eric Yeung - Benz HuiBenz HuiBenz Hui Shiu-hung is a Hong Kong actor who currently works on the TV station TVB. He used to work on ATV before switching over to TVB.-Family background:...
- Hoi - Lam SuetLam SuetLam Suet is a Hong Kong actor.-Biography:Lam was born in Tianjin, and came to Hong Kong as a youth in 1979 to receive inheritance money left by his grandfather. Soon after all the money had been squandered and Lam had to work various odd jobs to make a living.In the mid-eighties he got employment...
- Yip - You YongYou YongYou Yong is a Chinese actor from Xi'an, Shaanxi province.You Yong enrolled in the Xi'an Drama School in 1979 and was joined the Shanghai Theatre Academy in 1984. Upon graduation in 1988, he acted in his first film, Obsession, marking the start of his career...
- Chun - Li Haitao - Chung
- Simon YamSimon YamSimon Yam Tat-Wah , born March 19, 1955, is a Hong Kong actor and film producer.-Background:The son of a former police officer of Shangdong heritage, his father was a Hong Kong Royal Police ship captain who was murdered by his colleague....
- Asst. Commissioner Wong - Maggie Shiu - Grace Chow
Awards
- 2004 Golden Horse AwardsGolden Horse Film Festival and AwardsThe Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962, by Government Information Office, Republic of China...
- 2004 Cannes Film Festival2004 Cannes Film FestivalThe 2004 Cannes Film Festival started on May 12 and ran until May 23. The Palme d'Or went to the American film Fahrenheit 9/11 by Michael Moore.-Jury:* Quentin Tarantino, President * Emmanuelle Béart * Edwidge Danticat * Tilda Swinton...
: official selection
Remakes
A remake of Breaking News has been set up by independent film company Gold Circle FilmsGold Circle Films
Gold Circle Films is an American independent film production company, mainly focusing on horror and romance films, founded in 2000. Titles released by Gold Circle include White Noise, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Wedding Date, and The Man From Elysian Fields.-Films:*Double Whammy *The Man From...
and art-house film distributor
Film distributor
A film distributor is a company or individual responsible for releasing films to the public either theatrically or for home viewing...
Paramount Vantage
Paramount Vantage
Paramount Vantage is the specialty film division of Paramount Pictures , charged with producing, purchasing, distributing and marketing films, generally those with a more "art house" feel than films made and distributed by its parent company.Paramount Classics was launched in 1998 and...
. American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
Joel Schumacher
Joel Schumacher
Joel T. Schumacher is an American film director, screenwriter and producer.-Early life:Schumacher was born in New York City, the son of Marian and Francis Schumacher. His mother was a Swedish Jew, and his father was a Baptist from Knoxville, Tennessee, who died when Joel was four years old...
is in talks to direct the remake.
Another remake called Goryachie Novosti (international title: Newsmakers) has been shot in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. It is produced by Moscow-based Tandem Pictures and Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
's Illusion Film and helmed by young Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
director Anders Banke
Anders Banke
Anders Banke is a Swedish director. He was born and raised in Ystad and developed an early interest in film. He was trained as a director at VGIK in Moscow and learned to speak Russian. There he meet his friend and future collaborator Chris Maris...
. The Russian/Swedish version of Breaking News was theatrically released in Russia and ex-USSR on 7 May 2009.