Kung fu legend Jackie Chan to film in Rotorua?

Wham, bam, thank you Chan.

Martial arts movie legend Jackie Chan is the A-lister tipped to be headed for Rotorua to shoot a big budget movie.

Film Volcanic revealed last week it was in negotiations with producers planning a movie with an $80 million budget and featuring A-list actors.

Spokeswoman Christene Leaf has declined to reveal who was involved in the project but said the movie could boost Rotorua's economy and international profile.

A Rotorua District Council agenda prepared for yesterday's finance committee meeting revealed Jackie Chan's Hong Kong-based production company had been negotiating with Film Volcanic and Film New Zealand. Production managers, directors and assistants visited Rotorua in January scouting locations, according to the agenda.

The Daily Post understands Hong Kong based director and close friend of Chan, Frankie Chan, was in Rotorua in late January looking at locations with members of his production team.

He was taken to sites in and around Rotorua, Lake Tarawera and White Island on January 17 and 18 by members of Rotorua based company Film Volcanic.

Ms Leaf said yesterday she could not confirm if Chan was involved in the A-list project Film Volcanic was negotiating over.

However, she said if the movie was filmed locally, the crew would be in the area for three to four months. The movie would also be filmed in several other as yet un-named countries.

Destination Rotorua Tourism and Marketing general manager Don Gunn said a hit movie filmed in Rotorua would be a great way to promote the region, just as The Lord of the Rings did for New Zealand in 2001.

"Should it come here it will be great but not just for tourism. Opportunities would exist for film crew, set designers and everything else involved with the movie industry."

The Tom Cruise blockbuster The Last Samurai, which was filmed in Taranaki, was estimated to have injected $50 million into that region's economy.

In his home of Hong Kong, Chan is a famous singer, actor, director, producer and ambassador but in the West he is more well known for his Hollywood-produced action films.

He starred in the Rush Hour series with Chris Tucker, Shanghai Noon and Shanghai Knights with American comedian Owen Wilson and Around the World in Eighty Days with English actor and comedian Steve Coogan.

His film career began as a stuntman in movies featuring kung fu icon Bruce Lee.



He continues to do most of his stunt work and holds the Guinness World Record for "Most Stunts By A Living Actor". Chan also holds an unofficial record for the most number of takes for a single shot in a film. He shot more than 2900 retakes for a complex scene involving a badminton game in Dragon Lord.