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Friday, March 29, 2024

Big-budget film brings Hong Kong streets to standstill

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Cars dangling from cranes, street shootouts and actors rappelling from roofs—Yangon residents were transfixed this week by the filming of a big-budget Hong Kong action movie around the city’s iconic Sule pagoda.

Big-budget film brings Hong Kong streets to standstill
The final day of shooting near Sule Pagoda drew hundreds of curious locals

Yangon has lent the charm of its colonial-style buildings and golden temple spires to Line Walker 2—the sequel to the 2016 blockbuster of the same name which grossed $90 million worldwide.

Line Walker 2 stars Hong Kong heartthrob Louis Koo and Nick Cheung.

The final day of shooting drew hundreds of locals wearing the sarong-like longyi as well as a long line of robed monks crowding onto overhead pedestrian passes, craning for a view of a choreographed gunfight.

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“It is amazing to see cars flying in the air, like in the big films,” Sai Mine, who was visiting Yangon from northern Shan State, said.

The 25-year-old had heard about the filming and begged her sisters to take her to Sule Pagoda where the smoldering remains of a car lay nearby.

Amateur filmmaker Thar Nge expressed delight at the chance to witness the day-long process to film a scene that plays out in seconds on the silver screen. 

Some were hopeful a big-budget film featuring Yangon’s sights could boost tourist numbers.

While the number of Chinese tourists increased in 2018, Myanmar has seen a drop in Western visitors following news of the army’s crackdown on the Muslim Rohingya minority in northern Rakhine state. 

Line Walker 2 cast Myanmar actors including Aung Myint Myat who got the “amazing” opportunity to play a SWAT team leader in the film. 

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