The Forbidden Kingdom

Here’s your first look  of Jet Li playing the Monkey King in the upcoming martial arts movie “The Forbidden Kingdom”.

A discovery made by a kung fu obsessed American teen sends him on an adventure to China, where he joins up with a band of martial arts warriors in order to free the imprisoned Monkey King. (via)

While hunting down bootleg kung-fu DVDs in a Chinatown pawnshop, Jason makes an extraordinary discovery that sends him hurtling back in time to ancient China. There, Jason is charged with a monumental task: he must free the fabled warrior the Monkey King, who has been imprisoned by the evil Jade Warlord. Jason is joined in his quest by wise kung fu master Lu Yan and a band of misfit warriors including Silent Monk. But only by learning the true precepts of kung fu can Jason hope to succeed - and find a way to get back home.

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Images from Jackie Chan and Jet Li’s Forbidden Kingdom

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The $70 million movie titled “The Forbidden Kingdom”  brings Jackie Chan and Jet Li together on the big screen for the first time.

The movie tells the story of an American teenager, played by Michael Angarano (”Almost Famous”), who finds an antique Chinese staff in a pawn shop and is transported back to ancient China. There he meets kung-fu master Lu Yan (Jackie Chan) and a deadly silent monk (Jet Li) on his journey to return the staff to its owner, the Monkey King, imprisoned by an evil warlord (Collin Chou).

Movie, which also stars local actresses Li Bingbing (”The Knot”) and Liu Yifei (”Love of May”), is helmed by Rob Minkoff (”The Lion King,” “Stuart Little”), with d.p. and action director roles taken, respectively, by “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” alumni Peter Pau and Yuen Woo-ping.

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