'Bodies at Rest' to open on Aug 16th

A new Hong Kong crime thriller Bodies at Rest directed by Finnish filmmaker Renny Harlin has been re-scheduled to open in the Chinese cinemas on Aug 16.

Renny Harlin speaks at a promotional event for 'Bodies at Rest' in Beijing, on July 30, 2019. [Photo: China Plus]

Harlin, the most successful Finnish film director in the history of Hollywood, said he never dreamed of making a Hong Kong movie.

"I'm a lifelong lover of Hong Kong movies," he said. "And when I was growing up, I could never dream that I would actually one day be making a Hong Kong movie. So the whole situation was like a dream for me. Hollywood way of making movies is quite different from Hong Kong. In Hollywood, everything is planned before-hand in every detail. And in Hong Kong movies, you can improvise and you can come up with ideas. I wanted to respect Hong Kong cinema and also try to bring a little bit of my experience in Hollywood into the movie."

The film revolves around a forensic examiner and an intern as they engage in a deadly match with a high-profile criminal called Santa.

Hong Kong veteran actor Nick Cheung, Roger Kwok and Ng Cheuk Hai co-star in the film.

Earlier this year, Bodies at Rest was set as the opening title of the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

Renny Harlin (center) leads his cast of the film 'Bodies at Rest' at a promotional event in Beijing, on July 30, 2019. [Photo: China Plus]