Tape Hong Kong Remake: Selena Lee, Kenny Kwan, Adam Pak To Star

Selena Lee, Kenny Kwan and Adam Pak direct the cast of Tape, a Cantonese-language remake of Richard Linklater’s drama film that debuted in 2001. The new film will be directed by Bizhan Tong (Forensic Psychologist, Forensic Psychologist). The Audition”) with cameras set to roll in Hong Kong next month.

“Tape” tells the story of 3 best friends who reunite after a life-changing event at a graduation party 15 years later, where a case of blackmail forces them to confront a terrifying secret from their past.

The original film, starring Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Robert Sean Leonard, played at the Sundance, Toronto and Rotterdam festivals.

In Tong’s remake, Kwan, Lee, and Pak play the contemporary characters, while Mason Fung, Summer Chan, and Angus Yeung portray their younger versions.

Written by Stephen Belber, Tong, Lee and Bonnie Lo, the screenplay is an adaptation of Belber’s own screenplays from the original film and stage play.

The film’s producers include Tong, Lee and Belber. It is a co-venture between Phoenix Waters Productions, Marvion and Agog Films. No distribution company has been determined yet.

“One difference between the Linklater original and our iteration is the hand held DV cameras originally used to best tell the story with the clear passion of everyone involved. Our version is also a passion project for everyone involved, but we want to reflect the world as it is today on a larger scale, both showing the role that technology plays in our lives and connecting the past with the present, while we differ time sections. Because of this, we also have a different way of shooting that reflects the story I want to tell while imposing constraints on the process to follow the spirit of the original,” Tong said diversity.

Additional credits go to: cinematographer Colleen Kwok; Sarona Lo as production designer; Cheung Kwan Wah (“Caught in Time”, “Unleashed”) as editor; Guy Orlebar (ABS-CBN’s upcoming Sellblock) as Associate Producer; and Cindy Sin Lee Wong (“Now You See Me 2”, “The Confidence Man JP”) as line producer.

Hong Kong-born Canadian actress Lee has appeared in films including Barrack O’Karma and the Canadian series Blood & Water. Actor/singer Kwan’s screen credits include The Twin Flower Legend and Herman Yau’s upcoming Customs Frontline. Pak recently directed the ViuTV series Inevitable and is currently starring in Breakout Brothers 3, one of the top-grossing Hong Kong movies of the year.

“I’m incredibly excited to be part of a project that Bizhan has pursued with integrity, passion, intelligence and diligence – which the subject matter obviously demands,” Belber said in a statement. “Having Selena and Bonnie as co-writers to adapt the play for today’s world was quite simply invaluable and I look forward to having this very astute team guide and initiate the work into our present moment.”

Tape is one of several projects that Phoenix Waters Productions and Marvion have collaborated to produce in Hong Kong for local and international audiences. Tong’s previously announced zombie action thriller Chungking Mansions has been pushed back to next year. Other projects in development include drama series Crypto Keepers and superhero series Evos. Tong’s crime series Forensic Psychologist, directed by Jeannie Chan, is in advanced post-production while Endeavor Content handles worldwide distribution and remake rights.