Action-packed Shanghai in Bangkok

The Weinstein Company's big production Shanghai is shooting in Bangkok. The film stars John Cusack, Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li, Ken Watanabe and Rinko Kikuchi. Vietnamese model-actress Vu Thu Phuong is touted as the major Southeast Asian talent in the cast.

Set during World War II, Cusack plays an American spy investigating the death of a friend in Japanese-occupied Shanghai. He uncovers a conspiracy and he becomes entangled in a triangle romance involving a local woman (Gong Li) and a mobster (Chow Yun Fat).

The production is making use of old-timey backdrops in Chachoengsao outside of Bangkok, as well as the colonial-style Hualumphong Railway Terminal in Bangkok.

The film is directed by Mikael Hafstrom.

An action-packed film, stunts are being coordinated by Vic Armstrong, an industry veteran who has doubled James Bond and Indiana Jones. Armstrong has some thoughts about Bangkok and the Thai film industry on his blog. He's pictured with Prachya Pinkaew, Panna Rittikrai and Kawee Sirikhanaerut. The Weinstein Company's Bey Logan can't pass up another chance to make a film in Bangkok, so Benny "The Jet" Urquidez, and Logan writes about him too.

Some blurry photos by hangers-on around the shooting locations have turned up over at Pantip.com.

Shanghai had been slated to actually shoot in Shanghai, but The Weinstein Company had its permits taken away by the Chinese government, which was said to have been wary of the film, due to the controversial time period it is set in. Shanghai then packed up and moved. It's also used London as a location. The film is set for release on Christmas Day in the US.

(Via Kaiju Shakedown)