Frank Martin is the best in the business. The ex-Special Forces operative hires himself out as a mercenary “transporter” who moves goods — human or otherwise. Very simply, he delivers…no questions asked.
Frank has relocated from the French Mediterranean to Miami, Florida, where as a favor to a friend, Frank is driving for the wealthy Billings family. There’s very little that can surprise The Transporter, but young Jack Billings has done just that; Frank has unexpectedly bonded with Jack, age 6, whom he drives to and from school. But when Jack is kidnapped, Frank must use his battle-tested combat skills to retrieve the boy and thwart the kidnappers’ master plan to release a virus that will kill anyone with whom it comes in contact.
When Twentieth Century Fox released “The Transporter” in October 2002, the film became a worldwide theatrical hit. Produced and co-written by acclaimed filmmaker Luc Besson, “The Transporter” became an even greater success on DVD. At the same time, the picture launched Jason Statham as Hollywood’s newest action star, with Frank Martin becoming Statham’s signature role.
Says Statham: “Everywhere I went, people would tell me how much they loved ‘The Transporter’ and the character of Frank Martin. The Transporter is an especially important role for me because it’s influenced my career more than any film I’ve done.”
According to TRANSPORTER 2 director Louis Leterrier, who was Artistic Director on “The Transporter,” the original film’s appeal centered on Statham’s portrayal of the title role. “Jason really brought out not only the character’s amazing physicality, but Frank’s humanity, as well,” says Leterrier. “Jason plays Frank as a reluctant warrior. Frank wants to stop doing shady jobs; he craves an ordinary life. But fate likes to play tricks on Frank, and in the new film, he has to take on another ‘worst-case’ situation.”
Robert Mark Kamen, who authored both “Transporter” films with Luc Besson, agrees that much of the films’ appeal rests on Statham’s approach to playing the iconic figure. “Jason has humanity and decency; he makes both traits come alive in Frank Martin, even though Frank is as tough as they come.”
With “The Transporter’s” global success and the emergence of Statham as a movie action star, a follow-up film was not unexpected. Luc Besson envisioned TRANSPORTER 2 as being a movie event surpassing the original in scale and emotion.
Despite the success of “The Transporter,” and the filmmakers’ eagerness to reunite for a second film, TRANSPORTER 2 was not easy to put together. Statham had become one of Hollywood’s most in-demand actors; director Louis Leterrier, who had completed “Unleashed,” starring Jet Li, Morgan Freeman and Bob Hoskins, produced by Besson, was looking at other projects, and Martial Arts Choreographer Cory Yuen (who directed “The Transporter”) was working on several films.
Fortunately, the schedules of these key players opened up enough to allow their participation in TRANSPORTER 2. As Besson had conceived the project, TRANSPORTER 2 would up the stakes in action, drama and characterization — starting with The Transporter himself. “Frank has evolved from the time of the first film” says Statham. “There’s a lot more at stake, emotionally, for Frank.”
Statham enjoyed the mix of the character’s softer and tougher sides. “One day I’d being playing a tender, emotional scene opposite Amber Valletta [who plays the young kidnap victim’s mother]; the next day, I’d be taking on a team of international thugs in a massive fight scene. It was never boring.”
Like its predecessor, TRANSPORTER 2 features displays of Jason Statham’s impressive athleticism, honed by years of training in boxing, kickboxing and scuba diving. Statham’s martial arts skills and diving experience both came in handy for the film’s climactic set piece, involving a jet that has crash landed into the Atlantic Ocean.
Statham, who eschewed the use of a stunt man for even the film’s most intense action scenes, reveled in the character’s physicality. A special treat for the actor was getting reacquainted with the high-speed driving skills he acquired while making “The Transporter.” “Driving that high-speed car was a real rush,” says Statham, who in TRANSPORTER 2 is behind the wheel of a black Audi A8. “But I’ll admit that training for and performing the stunts was easier the second time around. This time, I knew what I was in for!”
As he did in the first film, Statham worked with Cory Yuen’s hand-picked team of fighting and action choreographers. “Cory knows Jason’s potential and how to push his physical limits,” says director Louis Leterrier, who worked seamlessly with Yuen on both “Transporter” pictures. “I provided Cory wih the entry and exit points for the action, and he filled in everything in between. Cory and his team tell a story through the action.”
Upping the emotional stakes in TRANSPORTER 2 is Frank’s interaction with young Jack Billings (newcomer Hunter Clary). “Frank is such a disconnected character, we thought it would be fun to have him drive for a youngster,” says Robert Mark Kamen. “Frank has no real experiences with children. Jason’s scenes with Hunter are really interesting, because Frank treats the boy like a grownup — that’s all he knows how to do!”
Besson and Leterrier surrounded Statham with a talented ensemble. Amber Valletta, who played an heiress who falls for a portly accountant in “Hitch,” portrays Audrey Billings. Audrey’s vulnerability — her fears for her child’s safety, and her growing attraction to Frank — hide an inner strength that lets her challenge some actions of the federal agents investigating the youngster’s kidnapping.
Matthew Modine, whose long and distinguished career includes films by Stanley Kubrick (“Full Metal Jacket”), Oliver Stone (“Any Given Sunday”) and Robert Altman (“Short Cuts”), portrays Audrey’s estranged husband, Jefferson Billings. Billings’ newly-acquired position as drug czar, figures into his son’s kidnapping and the perpetrators’ strategic and lethal moves.
A counterpoint to Valletta’s maternal, yet fiery Audrey, is Kate Nauta’s villainous Lola, described in the script as “a homicidal maniac in a supermodel’s body.” Nauta, a real-life model, was discovered by Besson, who has long been known for his keen eye for talent (Natalie Portman, of Besson’s “The Professional,” is among his discoveries).
Joining Nauta in on-screen villainy is noted Italian actor Alessandro Gassman, son of the late, renowned actor Vittorio Gassman. Alessandro plays Gianni, the mastermind of a plot that begins with a child’s kidnapping and which ultimately threatens the lives of thousands. English actor Jason Flemyng, who was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen,” takes on the role of a Russian doctor, Dimitri, whose medical expertise is critical to Gianni’s plans.
The city of Miami also plays a key role in the film. “I imagined that Frank decided to quit his job as a transporter and move to the other side of the world — Miami — to seek a new life,” says Statham. For the filmmakers, the city provided the necessary color and beauty to complement the story’s non-stop action.
An unexpected display of nature’s beauty — and fury — literally swept away the filmmakers during several days of shooting in July-August 2004. The production was battered by two hurricanes and series of lesser, but still potent storms that blasted through the city with winds up to 200 miles per hour. At one point, the unit had to be evacuated to an underground bunker near the airport, to escape the onslaught.
Despite these weather challenges and ensuing scheduling shifts, the TRANSPORTER 2 cast and crew remained focused on completing production and bringing to life a new chapter in the adventures of The Transporter. Jason Statham thinks the film’s insights into the character could point to the way to even more stories about Frank Martin. “I think Frank’s potential has just started to be tapped,” he says. “There’s more to be explored.”
ABOUT THE CAST
JASON STATHAM (Frank Martin) emerged at the forefront of the younger generation of action heroes, with his role in “The Transporter,” written especially for him by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen and brought to life by directors Louis Leterrier and Cory Yuen.
Statham also appeared in the action films “The One,” “Ghosts of Mars,” “The Italian Job,” and “Turn it Up.” He had a cameo in Michael Mann’s “Cellular,” starring Tom Cruise.
Statham stars in the upcoming pictures “Revolver,” directed by Guy Ritchie; “Chaos”; and “Dangerous Siege,” which is based on the popular sword-and-sorcery video game.
Born in Sydenham, England, Statham was one of the best divers on the English team. He placed third in the Olympic trials on three different occasions, eventually placing 12th in the world. While Statham trained at the famed Crystal Palace National Sport Center in London, film crews and photographers pursued him as a new talent for commercials and print campaigns. One of those jobs was a French Connection print ad where he met the owner of the company, who was also executive producer of a film then in pre-production, called “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.” Statham had a meeting with the director, Guy Ritchie, who gave him a role
Shortly after Statham’s film debut, Ritchie cast him again in the gangster film “Snatch,” in which he played a boxing promoter starting opposite Brad Pitt and Benicio Del Toro. More recently, Statham appeared in Ritchie’s “Revolver.”
ALESSANDRO GASSMAN (Gianni) is the son of legendary Italian actor Vittorio Gassman and Juliette Mayniel.
Alessandro Gassman made his film debut at age 17 in “Di Padre In Figlio,” which he co-wrote and co-directed with his father. In 1986, Gassman starred in “La Monaca Di Monza,” directed by Luciano Odorisio, and then in “L’Altra Enigma,” directed by Vittorio Gassman and Carlo Tuzzi.
Gassman had the starring role in Pino Quartullo’s “When We Were Repressed,” followed by Bigas Luna’s “Macho.” He then appeared, under John Irvin’s direction, in “A Month by the Lake,” also starring Vanessa Redgrave, Edward Fox and Uma Thurman.
In 1996, Gassman starred in Angelo Longoni’s “Uomini Senza Donne,” followed by Giulio Base’s “Lovest.” Gassman won wide acclaim for his performance as a young architect who discovers himself in Ferzan Ozpetek’s “The Turkish Bath.”
He then starred in Alessandro Benvenuti’s “I Miei Piu Cari Amici,” and reunited with director Angelo Longoni on “Facciamo Fiesta.” Next came “Mi Fai Un Favore” directed by Giancarlo Scharchilli.
More recently, Gassman starred in Philomene Esposito’s “Toni,” Giulio Base’s “La Bomba,” Ugo Fabrizzio Girodani’s “Coconut Heads,” Giuseppe Ferrara’s “The Bankers of God: The Calvi Affair,” and Luciano Ororisio’s “Guardina Delle Nuvole.”
Gassman appeared in the television mini-series “Dalida.”
AMBER VALLETTA (Audrey Billings) co-starred in the romantic comedy, “Hitch,” starring Will Smith, Eva Mendes and Kevin James. In the film, Valletta portrays Allegra Cole, a rich, even-headed heiress who is being pursued by Albert (James) with the help of “love doctor” Alex Hitchens (Smith).
She recently completed production on “Man About Town,” also starring Ben Affleck and Rebecca Romijn.
Valletta appeared as herself in Douglas Keeve’s documentary “Unzipped,” about fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi. She then landed a staring role opposite James LeGros in Stacey Cochran’s “Drop Back Ten,” which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. Valletta then appeared opposite Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfeiffer in “What Lies Beneath,” from Academy Award-winning director Robert Zemeckis, and she appeared opposite Nicolas Cage in Brett Ratner’s “Family Man.” In 2003, Danny DeVito directed her in “The Duplex,” also starring Ben Stiller and Drew Barrymore. She co-starred in director Gary Marshall’s “Raising Helen,” which toplined Kate Hudson.
A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Valletta began modeling in Europe at age 15.
KATE NAUTA (Lola) was born in Salem, Oregon in 1982, and grew up in Woodburn, Oregon, where she lived until 2000. At age 15 she traveled to New York City to pursue a modeling career. Nauta landed campaigns for Versace Sport, Versus, L’Oreal, DKNY and Abercrombie. She became an internationally renowned model.
While living in New York City and working around the world, Nauta began focusing on her true passion: singing. She always loved performing and grew up singing gospel music. She began writing her own lyrics and melodies, ultimately working on her music with superstar recording artist Lenny Kravitz.
Shortly thereafter, Nauta met with Luc Besson about a film role, which ultimately became ‘Lola’ in TRANSPORTER 2. She not only nabbed the part, she penned two songs heard on the film’s soundtrack.
MATTHEW MODINE (Mr. Billings) stars in the new fall series “Bedford Diaries,” as Professor David Macklan. Set in a small liberal arts college in Manhattan, the series is about a popular human behavior seminar taught by a renegade professor, Macklan, where students openly discuss their sexual and personal lives in an attempt to understand the world they live. The show is produced by Tom Fontana (“OZ,” “Homicide: Life on the Streets”) and HBO Independent.
Modine appears in the upcoming feature “Mary,” directed by Abel Ferrara, starring opposite Juliette Binoche, Heather Graham and Forest Whitaker. He made a guest starring appearance in the miniseries “Into The West,” executive produced by Steven Spielberg.
On stage, Modine starred in Arthur Miller’s “Finishing the Picture” at The Goodman Theatre in Chicago. Based on events during the last days on the set of the movie “The Misfits,” the play recounts how the behavior of a famously fragile movie star prompted studio owners to threaten pulling the plug on the picture.
A veteran of over 30 films, Modine starred in Alan Parker’s “Birdy,” Jonathan Demme’s “Married to the Mob,” Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket,” Mike Figgis’ “The Browning Version,” John Schlesinger’s “Pacific Heights,” Oliver Stone’s “Any Given Sunday,” and Merchant/Ivory’s “Le Divorce” opposite Kate Hudson and Naomi Watts.
Modine received the 1993 Venice Film Festival’s Volpi Cup for Best Ensemble Cast in Robert Altman’s Golden Lion Award-winning “Short Cuts.” He earned Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominations for his performance in HBO’s critically acclaimed, Emmy Award winning drama “And the Band Played On.” Modine also received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in “What the Deaf Man Heard.”
Television credits include the Emmy nominated mini-series “Hitler: The Rise of Evil,” in which he portrayed Fritz Gerlich.
Modine directed the short films, “When I Was a Boy,” “Smoking” and “Ecce Pirate.” All debuted at the Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim, and screened at major film festivals worldwide. He wrote, directed and starred in his feature directorial debut, “If...Dog...Rabbit,” and he directed the play “12 Angry Men,” starring F. Murray Abraham, Wallace Shawn and Seymour Cassel at the New Mercury Theater.
JASON FLEMYNG (Dimitri) recently starred as ‘Crazy Larry in Matthew Vaughn’s directorial debut "Layer Cake,” starring Daniel Craig. “Layer Cake” was a working reunion for Flemyng and Vaughn, who respectively acted in and produced Guy Ritchie's directorial debut, “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” co-starring Jason Statham. Flemyng’s portrayal of the hapless ‘Tom’ in that film earned him international recognition and critical praise. He also worked with Ritchie, Vaughn and Statham on “Snatch.”
Flemyng co-starred in Twentieth Century Fox’s “The League of Extraordinary Gentleman,” The Hughes Brothers’ “From Hell,” and Bernardo Bertolucci's "Stealing Beauty.” Other feature film credits include “Rock Star,” “Below,” "The Red Violin," "Deep Rising," "The Hollow Reed" and "Alive and Kicking."
Flemyng's television work includes roles in “Alice in Wonderland," the BBC production "A Question of Attribution" directed by John Schlesinger, and "For the Greater Good" directed by Danny Boyle. Flemyng stars as ‘Jim Corbett’ in the BBC’s “The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag,” which tells the true story of Corbett's hunt for the most notorious man-eating leopard of colonial India in 1925.
Flemyng's theatre credits include several Royal Shakespeare Company (Barbican) productions, including "Coriolanus," "As You Like It," "Moscow Gold," "Barbarians," and "All's Well That End's Well."
FRANÇOIS BERLÉAND (Tarconi) reprises his “The Transporter” role. He is one of France’s most recognized and distinguished actors, appearing in over 100 films, as well as numerous stage productions. His many notable credits include “Seventh Heaven,” as a sleazy psychoanalyst; “My Little Business,” “Romance” and director Louis Malle’s acclaimed “Au revoir les enfants.”
KEITH DAVID (Stappleton) recently appeared in two high profile motion pictures: the box-office smash “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” and the independent hit “Crash.” This summer, he appeared on the New York stage in “Two Gentlemen of Verona.”
David’s many notable film credits include “The Chronicles of Riddick,” “Barbershop,” “Requiem for a Dream,” “Pitch Black,” “There’s Something About Mary,” “Dead Presidents,” “Platoon,” “The Quick and the Dead,” “Bird,” “The Thing,” “Clockers” and “Armageddon.”
He won a Daytime Emmy Award for his work in Showtime’s “The Tiger Woods Story,” and received an Emmy nomination for narrating Ken Burns’ “Jazz” for PBS.
A graduate of the Juilliard School, David received a Tony nomination for his work in the Broadway production of “Jelly’s Last Jam.” He starred on Broadway in August Wilson’s “Seven Guitars,” later portraying “Othello” at the New York Shakespeare Festival.
HUNTER CLARY (Jack Billings), age 8, makes his motion picture debut in TRANSPORTER 2.
SHANNON BRIGGS (Max) is a professional heavyweight boxer who is best remembered for his 1997 12-round victory over boxing legend George Foreman, as well his 1998 match with Lennox Lewis. Briggs appeared in the blockbuster action film “Bad Boys II.”
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
LOUIS LETERRIER (Director) was Artistic Director on “The Transporter.” He recently helmed “Unleashed,” produced by Luc Besson, starring Jet Li, Morgan Freeman and Bob Hoskins.
Leterrier is a native of Paris. He developed a love of cinema at an early age, winning several awards for short films before turning 18 Leterrier left France to study film at New York University’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts. He was an Assistant Director and worked on visual effects on Twentieth Century Fox’s “Alien Resurrection,” directed by fellow countryman Jean-Pierre Jeunet. He then was an Assistant Director on the French-U.S. co-production “The Tourist Trap,” on Luc Besson’s historical epic “The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc,” and on the big-budget “Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra,” adapted from the comics.
Leterrier again assisted Besson on a commercial for L’Oreal, shortly after which the famed filmmaker approached Leterrier about “The Transporter.”
LUC BESSON (Producer, Co-Writer) was born in Paris on March 18, 1959, and spent most of his childhood living in the idyllic settings of various Mediterranean hideaways where his parents worked as diving instructors.
With Besson's surroundings and family influences, it seemed assured that he would embark on a similar maritime career. From the age of 10, after an encounter with a friendly dolphin, Besson was determined to become a marine biologist, specializing in the study of the species.
Besson studied for this life plan throughout his teens until, at 17, a diving accident prevented him from ever diving again. His long-held dream cut short, Besson redirected his sights, deciding that he would become a filmmaker.
Besson dropped out of school to seek work in the French film industry, and started making his own experimental films in super-8. At the age of 19, he moved to Los Angeles, where he lived for three months working in the American film industry.
In 1983, after three years of experience as an assistant director, Besson made his first feature, “Le Dernier Combat.” Selected for competition in the Avoriaz Science Fiction Film Festival, the film won two major awards from the festival jury, which included Alan J. Pakula and Jean-Jacques Annaud among its members. It was nominated for a Cesar Award and went on to win 12 awards around the world.
Besson's second film, “Subway,” starred Christopher Lambert in a Cesar-winning performance (one of 13 Cesar nominations garnered by the film), as a thief on the run who becomes involved with a fantastic subculture of Parisians living in the city's underground. The film gained Besson an international reputation, and is today regarded
worldwide as a cult classic.
Besson's 1988 film “The Big Blue,” expressing the dreams of Besson's Mediterranean youth, cast Jean Reno as an Italian diver with an unquenchable love for the sea. Besson's first film to be made in English, boasting an international cast, was distributed in the U.S. in a version that suffered various unauthorized alterations, including a changed ending and changes to Eric Serra's score. The intact version of Besson's film, nominated for seven Cesars, was a huge success throughout most of the world and is one of the top five films in French history. His original director’s cut was released on DVD last year.
Besson's “La Femme Nikita” was the director's first global sensation, a film that inspired remakes in both the U.S. and Hong Kong. The story of a feral, drug-addicted girl forced to train as a government hit-woman made international stars of leads Anne Parrilaud and Jean Reno, and spawned a new form of thriller: the neo-noir action film. This influence still reverberates throughout world cinema.
In 1991, Besson's “Atlantis,” hailed by U.S. critics as an undersea Fantasia and an aquatic dream, was filmed in 16 months all around the world. An exercise in pure film imagery, “Atlantis” dispensed with dialogue and narrative in order to wed Eric Serra's wall-to-wall score to undersea images — a cinematic translation of the filmmaker's own love for the world hidden beneath the ocean.
In 1993, Besson began pre-production on “The Fifth Element,” working for over a year refining the script from his own story, and with an international team of artists visualizing its 23rd century setting and characters. When budget concerns put the project at a standstill, Besson turned his hand to another original screenplay, “The Professional.”
“The Professional” returned to the themes examined in “La Femme Nikita.” It starred Jean Reno and Natalie Portman in the story of a hit man who is civilized by his paternal love for a young girl orphaned by a renegade government agent, played by Gary Oldman. The picture was an immediate worldwide success and garnered Cesar nominations for Best Picture and for Besson as Best Director.
In 1997, Besson's sci-fi opus “The Fifth Element,” starring Bruce Willis, was released to critical acclaim and box office success. Besson also recently won a British Academy Award for producing “Nil By Mouth,” with Gary Oldman.
Besson recently directed an animated feature film, as well as the drama “AngelA.”
He is the founder, with Pierre-Ange Le Pogam, of a European cinema studio named Europa, where he will not only produce between 4-8 films a year, but be involved in film distribution and foreign sales, video, and music publishing.
ROBERT MARK KAMEN (Writer) received his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the prestigious University of Pennsylvania, before setting his sights on Hollywood. Kamen sold his first screenplay, “Crossings,” to Warner Brothers in 1978. His first produced feature film was the critically acclaimed “Taps.” Kamen then wrote the hugely successful “The Karate Kid,” which turned into a three-film franchise, all of which he wrote.
Kamen then wrote the films “Gladiator,” “The Power of One,” “A Walk in the Clouds,” and the blockbuster “Lethal Weapon 3.” By the mid ‘90s, he had established himself as one of the most sought after writers in Hollywood, with credits such as “The Devil’s Own” and “The Fifth Element.” He also assisted Luc Besson in writing “The Professional.”
Kamen co-wrote with Besson the Twentieth Century Fox releases “The Transporter,” “Kiss of the Dragon” and the upcoming “Bandidas,” the latter starring Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz. He was Artistic Consultant on “Unleashed.”
Upcoming projects include “Warriors Gate,” “Oasis,” “Hard Money,” and “Sarah and the Gypsies,” which reunites him with “A Walk in the Clouds” director Alfonso Arau.
STEVEN CHASMAN (Producer) had his undergraduate education at the University of Pennsylvania before attending Emory University Law School in Atlanta, earning his law degree in 1991. Initially drawn to the practice of contract law, he worked for a few years in Baltimore, Maryland at the law firm Whiteford, Taylor & Preston.
However, the dry world of law was no match for the dynamic and interesting world of entertainment. In 1993, Chasman joined International Creative Management, a leading talent agency. There he helped to build the off-field careers of athletes such as Deion Sanders, Ken Griffey Jr. and Dennis Rodman. After six years at ICM, Chasman’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to start Current Entertainment.
Current Entertainment handles all types of talented performers from actors and musicians to directors and athletes. Chasman produced “The Transporter,” “Kiss of the Dragon” and “Taxi,” all of which were distributed by Twentieth Century Fox; “The One”; and “Unleashed.” Upcoming is “Chaos,” starring Jason Statham, Ryan Phillipe and Wesley Snipes; and “D.O.A: Dead or Alive,” directed by Cory Yuen.
TERRY MILLER (Executive Producer) has served in a variety of production capacities — including Unit Production Manager, First Assistant Director, and/or Associate Producer — on “2 Fast 2 Furious,” “Any Given Sunday,” “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” “Die Hard 2” and many other pictures.
MITCHELL AMUNDSEN (Director of Photography) was Cinematographer on Dinsey’s “The Country Bears.” He was worked in a variety of behind-the-camera positions on “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “National Treasure,” “The Bourne Supremacy,” “Seabiscuit,” “Bad Boys II,” “Pearl Harbor,” and many other films.
JOHN MARK HARRINGTON (Production Designer) was Production Designer on “Miami Rhapsody” and “All About the Benjamins.” He was Art Director on “Big Trouble,” “The Crew,” “Men Don’t Leave,” “Monkey Shines” and “Band of the Hand.”
CHRISTINE LUCAS-NAVARRO (Editor) was an editorial assistant on “The Transporter.” Her credits also include “Wasabi,” “Taxi 2,” “Man to Man,” and “The 11 Commandments.”
CORY YUEN (Martial Arts Choreographer) directed “The Transporter,” which became a box-office hit in 2002. He also worked in various fight choreography/action directing capacities on “Cradle 2 the Grave,” “The One” and “Bulletproof Monk.”
Yuen has over 30 Hong Kong feature releases to his credit, and has mastered every aspect of filmmaking, either as director, star, writer, producer, or action choreographer.
His first U.S. project was “Lethal Weapon 4” in which he was Martial Arts Choreographer. He also served in that capacity on “Romeo Must Die,” starring Jet Li. Yuen directed second unit for Twentieth Century Fox’s “X-Men.”
An alumnus of the prestigious Chinese Opera Academy, Yuen was one of the Seven Little Fortunes, a performing troupe that included classmates Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung. By the late ‘70s, Yuen and the others had gravitated toward film. For the next two decades Yuen was involved in some of the most popular films ever produced in Hong Kong, including “Hero,” “The Black Rose,” Mahjong Dragon,” “High Risk,” “My Father is a Hero,” “The Bodyguard from Bejing,” and “Fong Sai-Yunk I and II,” the latter four starring Jet Li.
ALEXANDRE AZARIA (Original Score) is a renowned re-mixer, arranger and soundtrack composer. Azaria was born in France in 1967. Between 1988 and 1992, Azaria was lead guitar for Cri de la mouche, a ‘70s rock quintet which released two albums.
Azaria’s other film composing credits include “Fanfan La Tulipe,” “A Ton Image,” “Les Daltons” and “La Vies est a Nous!”
BOBBIE READ (Costume Designer) made her feature film debut creating Jennifer Beals’ trend-setting wardrobe in “Flashdance.” Read’s many notable credits as Costume Designer include “Con Air,” “The Rock,” “Dangerous Minds,” “Bad Boys,” “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective,” “Indecent Proposal” and “Nine_ Weeks.”
