Jackie Chan’s 20-Year Quest to Share the Screen With Lifelong Friend Jet Li Finally Came to Fruition After Legal Barriers
Jet Li rose to prominence for his action roles in the 1980s. While he chose not to star in The Matrix, he did appear in Lethal Weapon 4 and Hitman.
Fans have seen him appear on screen with other popular actors. However, there was one person who Li had been trying to work with for years. Jackie Chan and Li have known each other for a long time. The two had a 20-year quest to join a project together.
Jackie Chan and Jet Li went decades without working together
Jackie Chan is one of those famous actors who knows how to fight in real life. He trained in martial arts for many years and gained skills in various fighting styles. As a teenager, he learned how to be a stuntman and performed dangerous feats. Chan has many acting credits in action films similar to Jet Li.
Li has mentioned that he’s trained to be an expert in martial arts his whole life. He also likes to do his own stunts in movies. Hollywood’s recognition of his fighting skills has allowed him to work with other fighters in films.
For example, Li appeared alongside Taiwanese star Collin Chou in Fearless in 2006. Nevertheless, there is one person he had wanted to work with for a long time. He and Chan have been friends for over 30 years but, for the longest time, had not made a movie together.
The two attempted to star in a movie for two decades. Chan once wrote a script, and Li expressed interest in the project. Despite this, the film never happened. It wouldn’t be until 2008 that they got their wish.
Jackie Chan and Jet Li finally starred in ‘The Forbidden Kingdom’
The Forbidden Kingdom is about a teenager who finds himself in ancient China. A few characters join him on his quest to defeat the Jade Warlord. Jackie Chan and Jet Li portrayed two of the protagonists in the movie after overcoming legal barriers regarding video rights.
Even though the two stars got their opportunity, Chan was not a fan of the script. He warned people that the film might not be good, especially for Chinese audiences. Nevertheless, the movie received mixed reviews, and viewers got to see authentic fighting moves.
According to MTV, Chan and Li filmed a scene where they fight each other. Shooting the duel ended up taking two weeks to do. Chan expressed, “To us, it was just another movie, an ordinary day, but when the day came, a million people showed up.”
Some people wanted to see if Li would land a hit on Chan. Fans of Li may consider him a more accurate fighter than Chan. Meanwhile, Chan fans might feel Chan could win in a fight against Li.
Li also starred alongside Jason Statham
Several of Jet Li’s notable works include Jason Statham as his co-star. The two have been in five movies together, starting with the 2001 sci-fi epic The One. Li stars as the main protagonist who hunts down various versions of himself. He eventually teams up with Statham’s character.
Li and Statham would not star in another film until six years later. Instead of teaming up, their characters faced off against each other in War. Li and Statham continued to fight together on-screen for three more films.
The two actors landed roles in The Expendables franchise. Li portrayed Yin Yang, and Statham was Lee Christmas. The two characters are part of an elite mercenary group that tries to overthrow a dictator. Li and Statham came back for the next two sequels. A third sequel is in the works, and Statham is part of the cast. However, it does not seem like Li will reprise his role.
