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The Movie Emperor: Dir. Ning Hao, Star Andy Lau on Film Self-Awareness

Director Ning Hao and legendary international star Andy Lau speak to Bleeding Cool about their CMC latest film The Movie Emperor for TIFF.

Ning Hao owes a lot to legendary actor Andy Lau, who helped him in his debut in 2006's Crazy Stone, in which Hao served as an actor and director. The two had an opportunity to collaborate on their latest project in CMC Pictures' The Movie Emperor, which made its debut at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. With its premiere on September 15th, Lau, whose career spans over four decades, was a keynote speaker at the TIFF Tribute Awards.

The film follows Lau Wai-Chi (Lau), a Hong Kong movie star with legions of devoted fans and a constant eye on his competition. His fame has drawn him inside an ever-tighter circle, where all he can do is keep his body perfect and worry about what other star is snagging an award or a big role that should be his. Vulnerable and sensing the need for a new image, Lau is persuaded to take the starring role in a humble indie drama where the protagonist is a village pig farmer. Lau and the director (Hao)— agree this foray into miserabilist cinema will be just what foreign film festivals crave. The two spoke to Bleeding Cool through a translator about their creative partnership, Ning's balance between acting and directing, and Lau's secret to his longevity.

The Movie Emperor: A Self-Aware Journey

Bleeding Cool: What intrigued you about The Movie Emperor?
Hao: Andy and I have known each other for a long time. Andy was invested since the first movie I made was The Crazy Stone. We have been looking for an opportunity to work with each other again. We did miss each other all that time, but we finally got the chance.

Andy, what stood out to you about the script?
Lau: When I saw the script for the first time, I found it to be an exciting story, put it that way, and it's also a reflection of how my whole life is, liberally. When I first read it, I read for the character Lau Wai-Chi, and then I had that connection and was hooked. The director once asked me this question: "One day, when you are no longer a famous guy, how are you going to feel about that?" [Hao] asked me what would happen if you were in this kind of situation. My response was, "I'm going to hang on there. I'm going to continue in my dedication." The director told me, "I've got a story for you here."

Does a project present a unique challenge compared to your earlier work?
Lau: I would rarely act into something that personal, and it reflects my situation. I felt like it's easy for the audience to… let's put it this way, "It's difficult for the audience to tell the difference between reality and the movies." I felt it might not be easy to use the story and plot to move the audience. The director did advise me that this is the essence and that sweet spot of the film, so I fell into his trap [both laugh].

Hao, do you feel like being an actor also helps you in your directing?
Hao: Definitely, it was helpful. Also, Andy let me know that he will be around, "I will be doing this with you. Let's play this game." We both decided to make fun of ourselves, and we enjoyed it. Because our movie is all about our self-deprecation. The lead is the actor always in character as himself, talking about a celebrity who was once famous. We all worked on this together.

Does it become easier when you're wearing multiple hats in the same production, or is it easier to focus on one thing or the other?
Hao: I will say in the movie, I was also on-camera as the director. Had I been playing another role in the film, it probably would be a bit better.

Andy, what do you think helped you sustain your long career?
Lau: I would say three elements for that: The first one is I thank God I'm in good physical condition. The second would be my hard work and dedication, which I had been saying all along. Most important of all, my good fortune and luck.

For more on the film, you can check it out here.

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