Bulletproof Monk

Now, faced with finding the scroll's next guardian, the Monk's quest brings him to America. It seems according to an ancient prophecy and to his disbelief the Monk's successor is a charming, street-tough wild card named Kar (Seann William Scott).

As the Monk instructs Kar in the ways of a protector, the unlikely duo become partners in shielding the scroll from a relentless power-monger who has been chasing it for 60 years.

Amid a flurry of high-flying acrobatics, martial arts action, and quick-witted humour, this comic odd couple have to work together to keep the scroll safe.

Bulletproof Monk was developed with Chow Yun-Fat in mind to play the title role.

For Chow, the role of the Bulletproof Monk not only provided him with the opportunity to work with his old friends, producers Terence Chang and John Woo, but to have a hand in shaping the material and his character as the story evolved.

"Because I was involved since the beginning, I had a lot of room to create the Monk in a certain way, which I've never been able to do before," says Chow.

"This character is a lot of fun. He is philosophical, but also has a sense of humour. He has a wonderful relationship with his young protg. They're not just teacher and student, they're more like buddy and friend, which gives the movie a lot of heart."

To play the role of the Monk's successor, Kar, the filmmakers chose Seann William Scott. Scott has garnered acclaim and gained success for comedy roles in such popular films as American Pie I & II and Dude, Where's My Car.

But he was eager for the opportunity to do something different, something a little more physical than previous roles had allowed.

"I thought this was one of the coolest scripts I had ever read," says Scott.

"I loved the character, I loved the adventure, I loved the comedy, and I loved the martial arts aspect. I totally went after this role. I said to the director and producers, I don't think anybody will work harder at this part than I will. This movie has elements of all the movies that made me want to be an actor, and at this point in my career, this is really what it's all about. I want to do this. I have to play this part.'"

Jaime King was cast in the female lead, the alluring and mysterious Jade (a.k.a. Bad Girl). King was also attracted to the role because it allowed her to take on the physical aspects needed for the action scenes.

"I really liked that this role was so physical," she says. "I'm pretty athletic, and it isn't often that you get to incorporate that into your craft."

Scott approached his training for the movie with incredible dedication and energy. Four months before filming, he went on a strict diet and physical program, culminating in his losing thirty pounds.

"I've always gained weight to play a funny character," says Scott, "but I really felt this role demanded a lean look if the fight scenes were to be believable.

"I told the producers I wanted to do as many of my own stunts as possible. To do that, I knew I would have to get into amazing shape."

April 24, 2003 11:00