MILKYWAY'S FULL SLATE

Screendaily has recently added Chinese and Hong Kong production news to their International Production Listings, and it's like uncovering a chest of pirates booty, only without the whole being killed by living dead pirate skeletons wielding blood-stained cutlasses part.

Besides learning that the Pang Brothers are still desperately trying to squeeze more box office blood from the horror movie stone (two horror flicks in pre-production, one in post) we also have the encouraging news that there is an avalanche of movies spilling out of Milkyway Image, the home of Johnnie To.

ELECTION 2 - looks like it just finished shooting in November. The plot introduces the triad heroes of the first film to the one force bigger, badder and more corrupt than they are: the Chinese government.

MOURNING FOR THE BREAST - Miriam Yeung and Richie Jen just started shooting this breast cancer comedy. Uh, a comedy? To is producing and Law Wing-cheong is directing.

SHOPAHOLICS - Milkyway's Chinese New Year's release (Jan/Feb 2006) plops To's creative collaborator, Wai Ka-fai, behind the camera and Lau Ching-wan, Cecilia Cheung and Jordan Chan in front of it. No info on the story.

EYE IN THE SKY - only in pre-production, this is a To-produced action flick about the Hong Kong cops starring the ELECTION team of Simon Yam and Tony Leung Kar-fai, and directed by writer Yau Nai-hoi.

The ghost of THE MISSION rears its head in the two following flicks, both listed as "in production":

THE SPARROW - Johnnie To's intricately choreographed Simon Yam/Kelly Lin pickpocket movie which has been shooting off and on since April, 2005 and is slated to end this year. Read this plot description and tell me this doesn't sound like a slick, minimal flick in the vein of THE MISSION:
"They are known as the “sparrows” which is Hong Kong street slang for “pickpockets”. They work in a group lifting wallets from unsuspecting tourists until one day an irresistible woman of unknown origin appears before them, requesting the gang to steal a key for her. The set-up begins to unravel itself when the mission is completed. The pickpockets realise this exotic beauty has been slowly leading them onto a path of no return."

And, finally, big news:

EXILED - the sequel to THE MISSION just started shooting on Nov. 12. It's got a big budget (US$5 million; To's average budget seems to clock in at about US$3 million) and it stars Anthony Wong, Francis Ng, Richie Jen and Nick Cheung. Here's the plot description:
"Two gangsters from Hong Kong sent to execute a renegade in Macau are faced off with two former comrades trying to protect him. While the four gangsters are negotiating, a fifth gangster appears out of nowhere and takes the renegade out. A final showdown ensues amongst the five gangsters."

All I have to say is: Go, go, Johnnie To!