Raymond Lam, 42, Criticised For Being Too Old To Play Zhang Wuji In New Film Version Of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber
Actors like Tony Leung, Jet Li and Alec Su were under 30 when they were cast as the character.
New Kung Fu Cult Master, the long-awaited remake of Hongkong director Wong Jing’s 1993 wuxia epic Kung Fu Cult Master, will hit the big screen soon. Yes, after almost three-decades.
Wong Jing announced on Weibo earlier this week that the movie, the latest adaptation of Jin Yong’s wuxia novel The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, is slated to be released early 2022.
It features a star-studded cast the likes of Louis Koo, Donnie Yen, Janice Man, and Raymond Lam as the protagonist Zhang Wuji.
Raymond as Zhang Wuji
However, Raymond’s casting has attracted quite a bit of criticism, with netizens complaining that the 42-year-old actor is too old for the role.
Netizens pointed out that actors who had played Zhang Wuji in the past were much younger — Tony Leung was only 23, while Jet Li and Alec Su were both 30.
Even Lawrence Ng, who was 37 when he was cast in TVB's 2000 adaptation, was considered a tad old for the role.
From left: Jet Li, Tony Leung, Alec Su, and Lawrence Ng as Zhang Wuji
However, Wong Jing stands behind his decision to cast Raymond.
"In the movie, Raymond feels like he is only in his early 30s. We didn't include the part of the novel where the character is a young man, and when Zhang Wuji makes an appearance [in the movie], he is already in his 30s, so [Raymond] is definitely suitable," wrote Wong Jing on Weibo.
“You cannot compare [him] to Jet Li [who was 29 when he played the role in Kung Fu Cult Master in 1993]. During that era, there were always a new 007, Batman, as well as Zhang Wuji. I hope everyone will judge the film fairly after watching it."
He had nothing but praise for Raymond, saying the actor “never disappointed [him]” during the five-month shoot. In addition to his stellar acting, Raymond also performed “90 per cent of the martial arts moves himself”.
Photos: Wong Jing/Weibo, Raymond Lam/Instagram
