One of Hong Kong’s Greatest Action Film Directors Passes Away at Age 58

August 24, 2020

Hong Kong director Benny Chan Muk-sing, whose known works include the 1996 film “Big Bullet” and the 2004 “New Police Story” reboot, passed away on Sunday at 58 years old.

Ailing auteur: Chan has reportedly been suffering from nasopharyngeal cancer (nose cancer), reports Yahoo News.

Chan was reportedly shooting his film, “Raging Fire” starring Nicholas Tse and Donnie Yen last year, when he felt ill.
The filmmaker soon found out he had nose cancer after undergoing a physical examination.
While he was able to complete filming “Raging Fire,” he had to pass the post-production work to another colleague so he could undergo treatment.
Chan spent months at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin, Hong Kong for his treatment.
Eventually, he was transferred to Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital, where he died.
Chan is survived by a wife and two children.

Prolific career: Before becoming a full-fledged filmmaker, Chan began his showbiz career as an assistant director to Johnnie To Kay-Fung in Hong Kong television network TVB.

After he was promoted as a TV director, he soon branched out to directing, producing and writing scripts for movies.
Chan would later be known for action films that focus on police and crime.
He directed, produced and co-written “Big Bullet,” a film that won awards at the 1996 Golden Horse Film Festival and the 16th Hong Kong Film Awards.
He also directed several collaborations with superstar Jackie Chan, including “New Police Story,” “Who Am I?,” and “Rob-B-Hood.”

Online tribute: Some stars who have worked with the director have taken to social media to remember his contribution to cinema.

On Instagram, actor-turned-director Stephen Fung called Chan “a strong force behind Hong Kong cinema.”
Actress Jeana Ho remembered the director for “his hard work, dedication and strengths.”
According to Donnie Yen, he will miss his friend who has remained “positive, strong, happy, inspiring director and friend” over the years.

Feature Image via Getty

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