Jackie Chan Dodges Mudslide on 'Project X'
Indefatigable Chinese action star Jackie Chan dodged a real-life natural disaster this week when a mudslide hit the production of his upcoming film “Project X.”
Chan said that filming was interrupted in the last few days when the weather changed and triggered a mudslide. Crew and equipment were caught in the landslip. “Our crew were caught in a massive mudslide! A few of our production trucks were stuck in the river of rushing mud,” Chan said on social media.
Nobody was seriously injured, though clearly some people were badly scared by the near-miss. Chan took to Facebook, Twitter, his own blog and Chinese social media to confirm the event and reassure fans that all were safe.
The film is produced by Chan’s Sparkle Roll Media and China’s Talent International. Few cast details have been revealed other than Chan himself and American former pro-wrestler John Cena (“Trainwreck,” “Bumblebee”).
“Project X” has a logline about two former special-forces soldiers escorting civilians along Baghdad’s Highway of Death to the safety of the Green Zone. Scripted by Arash Amel (“Grace of Monaco,” “The Parsifal Mosaic”), the film is directed by Scott Waugh (“Need for Speed”).
Chan did not reveal the location of the production. It is known however, that large parts of Southwest China, including Yunnan province, have suffered heavy summer rains, which have caused flooding and landslides.
Chan’s social media messages promised that the producers would learn their lesson from mishap. “Our production team will learn from this experience; be more alert to the weather conditions, do our best to protect our crew members and ensure that working conditions are absolutely safe,” he said.
Chan is no stranger to on-set accidents. In 2014, cinematographer Chan Kwok-hung (no relation) was killed while filming Chan-starring action comedy “Skiptrace” off Lantau Island in Hong Kong. Some reports at the time said erroneously that Chan was also nearly killed.
Chan was recently seen in a drama role in STX Entertainment’s “The Foreigner” and Perfect Village’s “Bleeding Steel.” As usual, he is attached to a large number of upcoming projects, both in Asia and in the U.S. He is expected to star in “Rush Hour 4,” and his name has been linked to “Karate Kid 2.” Chan is executive producer and star of “The Knight of Shadows: Between Yin and Yang,” which is currently in post-production.
Chan’s longest message about the mudlslide reads: “A few days ago, we started shooting on location. The weather suddenly changed and our crew were caught in a massive mudslide! A few of our production trucks were stuck in the river of rushing mud. Many of the crew became frightened because it was so sudden. Luckily, some large hook trucks come to our rescue and helped tow our production trucks to safety. I’d like to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all the people who came to help us. And also ‘sorry’ to all the crew members who were frightened by the mudslide. Our production team will learn from this experience; be more alert to the weather conditions, do our best to protect our crew members and ensure that working conditions are absolutely safe. Thanks to everyone for your hard work!”
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