Shanghai afternoon screenwriter Alfred Gough sheds light on the unmade third film, what its story will be, and why it ultimately fell apart. In the 2000 Western, Jackie Chan played a Chinese Imperial Guard who teams up with Owen Wilson's outlaw to rescue a kidnapped princess. sequel called Shanghai Knights Released in 2003, the duo set out on a quest to recover a priceless artifact. A Shanghai afternoon 3 It was also announced in 2015, but several updates came out later.
Gough is currently known for his collaborations with Tim Burton Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Wednesdaythe writer reflected on his early collaboration with co-writer Miles Millar Shanghai afternoon, when talking to Collider. Gough recalled how far advanced the third film was before things fell apart, admitting that it had reached the script stage and that Chan and Wilson were partially involved. He said:
We got very close. Oh my gosh, COVID always messes up my schedule. I think we had a script like 2017, 2018 and Jackie [Chan] and Owen [Wilson] committed verbally.
Then, at a certain point, Jackie decided she didn't want to do it.
That's all I really know. There was a moment probably six or seven years ago when it seemed to come together. We weren't writing it, we were working with some young writers, but we helped break the story, and they were writing it. So this is where we are.
Within the script, Chon Wang (Chan) was making a name for himself as an actor in early Hollywood and parted ways with Roy O'Bannon (Wilson) again. However, Wang went to help his friend when he found his partner involved with Mexican revolutionaries. Gough recalled:
I think the story was the Jackie character, who was now working in silent films – sort of the Tom Mix era. They had arrived here. Then Owen was in Mexico and I think it was something about him being with the revolutionaries and Jackie had to save him. I honestly don't remember, though
I remember it was that time, the first silent film era of Hollywood, we thought it was a lot of fun.
Shanghai Noon 3 No Longer Likely
Although the second Shanghai afternoon the film received a less enthusiastic response than the original, while the series received generally positive reviews. Praised for their acting and chemistry, Chan and Wilson's dynamic helped win over critics and audiences in both films and was cited as a major selling point. On top of that, both of them Shanghai films are also considered financially successfulthe third is to make a safe bet.
In addition, the film found a director in 2016. Napoleon Dynamite's Jared Hess was signed on to direct. Fann Wong was also expected to reprise her role as Chong Lin Shanghai Knights. However, Gough's new comments show Shanghai afternoon 3 will not happen. It is reported that Chan initially stepped aside, indicating that it was not studio interference that halted the project, but rather the loss of a key creative voice. Without Chan's support, it doesn't look like a third film could go ahead.
Our Shanghai Afternoon Film
A Change in Focus May Be Behind the Cancellation
Gough's description Shanghai afternoon's third film is one that will be very familiar to audiences, as it follows a similar formula to how the original led to the second film. Shanghai Knights It concludes with Wang and Roy returning to America with a young Charlie Chaplin (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) to participate in the burgeoning film industry. Not only does the proposed plot for the third film continue perfectly from the sequel, but Chan's talents as an action star could enhance any silent film-inspired sequel.
However, a plot involving revolutionaries may be where the production falls apart, as Gough's portrayal conflicts with a star's hopes for a third film. As the writer explained in 2016, Chan hoped the sequel would be shot in China and focuses more on its culture than the first two films. So despite the positive working relationship between the cast and crew, Shanghai afternoon's third film may be a victim of creative differences.
Source: Collider