Zhang Yimou has had mixed fortunes recently. His latest release, 2018's “Shadow” is generally recognised as his best film in years. Since its release though, he has had his Revolution-era set “One Second” pulled from Berlinale. Although “technical reasons” were cited, it would seem that the finished product ran afoul of the Chinese censors at the last minute and hasn't been heard of since. Production on “Impasse”, a spy drama, had to be halted due to the coronavirus pandemic but has since resumed, delaying its production and eventual release. There is, however, good news too, as the third project he had in production, “Under The Light”, has just released a first trailer and is gearing up for a theatrical release later this year.
While no synopsis has been releases yet, what is known is that the film will wade uncharted territory for the veteran director, being an urban crime drama. In fact, this will be his first modern-day set work since 2005's “Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles”. “Under the Light”, previously titled “Rock Solid”, features Lei Jiayin, Zhang Guoli, Yu Hewei and reunites Zhang with his “Under the Hawthorn Tree” debutante Zhou Dongyu, who has since gone on to become one of the biggest actresses in Mainland and Hong Kong cinema. The film is expected to release in China by the end of this year.
