As of the evening of July 11, the box office of the film "Anti-Drug 2" has exceeded 700 million yuan, making it one of the most noteworthy domestic films this summer. Our reporter interviewed Andy Lau, one of the film’s producers, starring, theme songwriters and singers, and listened to him talk about how the film is "fire", what work he has done for the film, and how he plays an ordinary person who hates drugs.
"Such box office results are beyond my imagination"
Reporter: First of all, I would like to congratulate you. The film "Anti-Drug 2" was released on July 5th, and by July 8th it has exceeded 500 million yuan. You have exerted your extraordinary influence.
Andy Lau: This box office result is really beyond my imagination, I didn’t expect it to be so fast. This is the first work I shot after recovering from an injury in 2017, and the current release situation has given me a lot of encouragement.
Reporter: You were involved in a lot of front-and-back work on this film. In addition to starring, you also worked as a producer, wrote lyrics for the theme song, and sang with Louis Koo. As a producer, what specific things did you do for the film?
Andy Lau: I am a producer because I want to be more involved in different aspects of the film. There are actually two kinds of supervisors. One is to control the budget, and the other is to focus on the creation. I am involved on both sides. In terms of budget, I will consider how to put money in important places. If the actor is important, I will spend a little more money to find actors. If I feel that I need to spend more money on the action of the play, I will spend it on the action. Sometimes we also spend time. In terms of creation, what I can do is to go from actors, scripts, directors, and finally to the finished product, and how to integrate them into the most ideal and closest to our requirements.
Reporter: Generally speaking, the producers are experienced people who escort the younger or less experienced directors. The screenwriter and director of this film, Qiu Litao, is your age. How did you reach a cooperation?
Andy Lau: I met Qiu Litao in the late 1980s. Since then, he has been filming and has tried many types of low-budget films. He is also a rock singer and has a lot of enthusiasm. But no one has ever given him enough money to make a movie he wants to make, so we gave him a chance. His first big production was "The Bomb Locker," and I starred in it. People thought he was in control very well, so I was invited to be the producer and director of "Anti-Drug 2" with him.
"Making anti-drug movies serves as a reminder"
Reporter: In the past, you have starred in many anti-drug films, such as "Heaven and Earth" and "Disciples", etc. Why did you come to star in a similar film this time?
Andy Lau: The most important thing is that I think there should be such works on the market all the time to remind the audience, just like the need to remind everyone through the film "Lost Orphans" that there is still child trafficking going on in this world. Drugs are still poisoning many young people, and the drug addicts are getting younger and younger, and new drugs are constantly emerging. It may have been very traditional in the past. Now some drugs seem very "trendy", and some people even think that drug use is a common thing in life. Like drinking alcohol, they don’t know they will be addicted at all. So this time I saw the theme of anti-drug, and I felt that it needed to be done, and the film should be "popular" in the market. Liu Qingyun, Liang Jiahui, and Gu Tianle played a good role in brotherhood in "Anti-Drug 1". "Anti-Drug 2" increased family and love. At the beginning, only Gu Tianle starred. I also joined, and Miao Qiaowei was invited to play the police, adding some flavor to the film.
Reporter: In "Anti-Drug 2", you played the role of Yu Shuntian, who has experienced twists and turns in his life and played a multi-faceted role. What personality characteristics did you focus on? In the past, there were only two sides in police and gangsters in police films, but now Yu Shuntian is a third party. What impact does this role setting have on the film?
Andy Lau: Among the three male characters, Gu Tianle plays the drug dealer Jizang, who is obsessed with friendship and brothers. Miao Qiaowei plays the policeman Lin Zhenfeng, who is obsessed with the law. Among them, I am an ordinary person who has a sense of powerlessness in the face of the world. In his youth, he was a gangster, not a good person, and the anti-drug method he adopted was incorrect. He is also a low-key and hesitant person who has been considering whether his approach is right or not, and hovers between the reasonable and the unreasonable. The addition of this character makes the film richer and more tense. If the simple method in the past is followed, this film can actually be filmed without me, only the roles of Gu Tianle and Miao Qiaowei can be finished, or I can play the policeman Gu Tianle as the bad guy.
Reporter: The ending of the film is tragic. Yu Shuntian and Jizang die together. Mrs. Yu Shuntian played by Lin Jiaxin had signed a divorce agreement with Yu Shuntian, but she also died. Do you think this ending is good over evil?
Andy Lau: Drugs are rampant because of drug criminals, causing many innocent people to suffer, and the ending of drug dealers is bound to be destroyed. On the other hand, movies always need some plot. In this scene, Yu Shuntian actually wanted to save his marriage with his wife, and wanted to let go of Kizo, as long as he could be with his wife. Unexpectedly, at this moment, his wife died. From that moment on, the character died. He didn’t cry or vent in public, but was actually ready to give his life for anti-drug. The character played by Gu Tianle also wants to have an end with his brother who was the most devoted to his feelings in the past. There is a big misunderstanding here. The last scene is actually quite romantic. Sometimes love may not be perfect, but friendship must be perfect.
Reporter: This movie has a very big investment, built a 1:1 subway station to shoot drag racing scenes and gunfight scenes. Because you were injured, did you have any difficulty filming these scenes in the end?
Andy Lau: I have recovered well since my injury in 2017. I have been preparing for a year in the pre-film, and I have done various physical exercises. All those high-speed car scenes filmed in 1:1 subway stations were prepared with special effects and motion design, so I can handle it physically.
"I hope to make my own movies in the future"
Reporter: The genre of Hong Kong police and gangster films has been particularly successful. You have also appeared in police and gangster films many times, including "Infernal Affairs", "Dark War", "Blind Road", etc. What do you think is the reason why Hong Kong police and gangster films have been attracting audiences at home and abroad for so many years?
Andy Lau: I think it’s still because of feelings. The police and gangster movies produced in Hong Kong always have a very specific thing, like the Northeast dialect, which makes people feel very happy when they hear it. But I still hope that Hong Kong movies should try their best in other different genres. For example, some authentic Hong Kong literary films, I think there are still some. We don’t require movies to be worth billions at the box office. There are some movies that should be done as long as they can pay for themselves. So I made a "Hong Kong Land" some time ago, and recently I’m making a "Hot Blood Choir".
Reporter: In the past, you supported young film talents through the "Asian Rising Star Director" program, launched Ning Hao and his "Crazy Stone", and also invested in and starred in "Sister Tao" with zero pay. What other plans do you have for the film industry now?
Andy Lau: These will continue, and I also want to help some new mainland directors to make some more literary works. I have also talked to Lin Jianyue, Yang Shoucheng, Gu Tianle, Du Qifeng, etc. I hope that everyone will train some new actors and directors in the next three years. I actually want to train actors to become directors. For example, I have been in this industry for so many years, so I can slow down and put our experience into a movie.
Reporter: You must be a director in the future, right?
Andy Lau: I hope so. In fact, I thought about it before. For example, when I was filming "Dragon Chasing 1", I really wanted to direct it myself, but after thinking about it, I was still afraid, so I finally found Guan Zhiyao to shoot. But at present, I don’t have a very clear and specific theme.
