Jackie Chan 'will never retire'
2005-09-12 13:56
Kuala Lumpur - International action movie star Jackie Chan said on Monday that he is unlikely to ever retire from making movies, but said he would only act in action movies for another five years.
Chan, who turns 51 this year, said he had a "few more years" to produce and act in action genre movies, which contain his own brand of high-kicking martial arts.
"Even Clint Eastwood is still making action movies, so I think I have a few more years," he said.
"Another five years, I think."
Chan said while his on-screen participation would begin to decrease, he has plans to be involved with producing movies and imparting his martial arts-for-movies skills to younger directors.
"I will produce movies. I can help to produce a lot of action small-budget movies to help young talents.
"There are a lot of things to do. I don't think I can ever retire," he told journalists at a pre-launching of his latest movie, an epic piece set in China entitled The Myth.
Chan's fame
The international star, who has been acting in Hong Kong movies for close to three decades, became famous with western movie audiences in Hollywood films such as Rush Hour and most recently, Around the World in 80 Days.
Chan said that he was expected to return to Hollywood with another action movie set to be released at the end of 2006 or early 2007.
He said that modern day movies had to be increasingly made to cater to an international audience, and not just those from the West.
"In the past nine months, box office ratings have been dropping, also due to piracy.
"This is a big problem for the whole world," he said.
He said that western film makers were now looking towards the East, both for budding actors as well as to tap into the large movie-goers market.
In "The Myth", Chan plays the lead role of a man who gets connected with his past life as a military general of an ancient dynasty.
The movie, set to premier in Toronto, Canada, on September 15, also stars fellow Hong Kong actor Tony Leung Ka Fai, Indian actress Mallika Sherawat and Korean actress Kim Hee-Sun. It is due to be released in Asia on September 23. - Sapa-dpa
- SAPA