Next month is the Toronto International Film Festival, and this year marks the inaugural TIFF: The Market, a film market venture similar to other festivals like Cannes Film Market or the American/Europe Film Market events. One of the neat projects on that docket is the debut English-language film from Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To, known for his gangster films such as “Election” and “Exiled“; instead of exploring the seedy and violent world of triads, To is going to be switching genres by making a Western with “Two Gun Cohen.”
Variety (who also provided a teaser/promo poster via producer Todd Brown) has dished some tantalizing details about the Western project, including that it is inspired by true events involving Morris Cohen and Dr. Sun Yat-sen.
Brown, who is producing the film, was formerly at XYZ Films with impressive acquisition credits under his belt such as “The Raid: Redemption,” “Mandy,” “The Night Comes for Us,” “Mile End Kicks,” and the recent buzzy martial arts pic “The Furious.” He’s now behind the newly launched Canadian production company Rawk Moving Pictures Corp, and is backing To’s English flick as it heads to TIFF: The Market’s international section, Frontières. Rawk is currently seeking financiers, co-producers, and sales partners to join them on this journey for “Two Gun Cohen.”
Here is the logline the outlet provided for To’s “Two Gun Cohen”:
“Based on the true story of Morris Cohen, a Jewish immigrant to Canada who settled on the Prairies and met Dr. Sun Yat-sen before Sun rose to become the father of modern China. Cohen would later act as Sun’s protector and confidant through the years of the Chinese Revolution. To has described the project as a ‘dim sum Western.'”
Chris Yurkovich for Fiera Stranga and Michael Solomon via Band With Pictures are also joining Brown on the film’s producing team, with Solomon serving as executive producer. Patrick Whistler (“Cardinal,” “In Cold Light”) is attached to write the script, and the project already has development backing from Telefilm Canada.
“Unusual stories from striking talent is the entire fun of this industry,” Brown said in an official statement about the To Western and his new production banner. “Rawk will be far less driven by scale or model than by the simple question of whether the story and the talent behind it are great…Obviously with an iconic talent like Johnnie there are certain things that become much easier, but I’ll keep on tilting at windmills – as I’ve always done – and championing new voices from all around the globe as well.”
There isn’t any casting information at this time, but, oh boy, we cannot even wrap our heads around the idea of Johnnie To making a Western; there is certainly going to be some high expectations for “Two Gun Cohen.”
