Xiao Zhan and Zhuang Da Fei Bring Their Own Take to Iconic Wuxia Characters Guo Jing and Huang Rong in New Posters for Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Great Hero
The countdown to the 2025 lunar new year day release of C-movie Legend of the Condor Heroes: The Great Hero is garnering so much attention in C-ent, thanks to the big name director and cast along with the record setting ticket presales. New posters arrived today with leads Xiao Zhan as Guo Jing and Zhuang Da Fei as Huang Rong and NGL they look good together despite the more humble and peasant-y attire this version is sporting rather than the more refined wuxia costumes. While neither would be my first casting choice visually for their characters, he’s too handsome and she’s too cool girl vibe, I’m glad at least they can act and have onscreen charisma to likely bridge the gap between how longtime readers imagine the characters and what is seen onscreen.



So they were going for a more realism effect? Hope it works out for him. So much hype but will it be worth the hype? 🤷🏻♀️
Seems meh 🤷♂️ but I’ve never been a fan of Chinese movies, so, good luck.
Based on the poster they both look wrong to me. IMO Jinger should be naive and a little dumb while Ronger is sweat and cunning. But based on the picture above they both look like fierce warriors. Their posture looks off because they transmit vibes which are inconsistent with the characters. Nonetheless, can’t make judgment based on just one poster. Anyways, My favorite Ronger is the one portrayed in 2003 tv series (don’t know the actresse name).
2003 version of huang rong is zhou xun.
It looks wrong to me too. I am curious as to how this movie will the stories. The trailer feels more like a war movie, like the 2009 Mulan movie than a wuxia. I wonder if their personalities will also be rewritten.
we are anticipating for LOCH to be successful not only in china but the rest of the world for several reasons namely Xiao Zhan Tsui Hark
Jin Yong, and the genre itself. can’t wait for it’s release in china and internationally.
I’ll be interested in watching if it screens in my country. I heard Tsui Hark reinterpreted Hua Zheng’s character, she’s no longer just boy-crazy over Guo Jing and instead became a strong independent princess.
I really hated Hua Zheng character in the novel… it is such a shame she is written as so. With such a clever and powerful dada, I do feel it was odd she is so shallow..
I didn’t read the novel so my knowledge about the characters is limited. Yes, I agree it’s odd for Hua Zheng to be so shallow when she’s a princess under the greatest Khan.
I will love to watch this version of Hua Zheng.
FengShen II will get released soon as well
I’m probably the only one who thinks Zhuang Dafei looks like the female twin of Xiao Zhan!
I initially didn’t see resemblance but from the posters above, they do look alike. Like brother and sister.
The CGI looks horrible and frankly I’m tired of remakes. Nonetheless, I don’t wish for any big budget to fail. All the best.
In the trailers, the FL has a split second of presence. How can a LOCH adaptation not have Huang Rong be equal to Guo Jing? She was Jin Yong’s strongest female character and a favorite if not the favorite of the story. When discussing LOCH versions, people name the Huang Rong actress to identify them. Barbara Yung, Athena Chu, Zhou Xun, Li Yi Tong. The actress also looks like a miscast and doesn’t capture her brilliant and cute mischievous persona. The 2FL, who has the most dull character in the book, actually looks cooler than her.
Superficially, the ML’s dark foundation looks fake. He’s tanner than before, but this level is obviously overdone. This movie is starting off on shaky grounds for me.
I know mockery of XZ’s movie will come along the time approaching the premiere. Names in the comments were usual naysayers of XZ as a decent actor as well as their faves’ rival, and I remember these names (praising my good memory LOL). Nonetheless, I have to agree that Tsui Hark’s approach seems very old school. His fans of HK wuxia heyday may love this version of LOCH and his interpretation. I’m not sure about younger generations though, who have been used to more flashy and dazzling CGI. The plot and the message are still the most important factor to decide if the movie is worth the hype.
I was looking forward to this movie very much but now have conflicting feelings about this movie. On the one hand, I’m happy to see XZ’s career gets one or several rungs up the ladder by playing a classically iconic character in the wuxia world. On the other hand, I did smell state propaganda for CCP narratives based upon a brief interview with Director Tsui Hark. Per Tsui Hark in the interview, although Song Dynasty ruler betrayed GJ’s parents that he ended up being raised by Mongol IiKhan, GJ still chose to fight for Song against Mongolians. Tsui Hark went further to imply that although HK had been governed by the British government for over 150 years to its prosperity, Hong Kongers should still be loyal to China in the time of any conflicts. Tsui Hark said that even your country once abandoned you, you’re forever Chinese and have to pledge allegiance to the Chinese (CCP) regime LMAO. If this is not a blatant state propaganda for CCP, then what is? Tsui was licking the boot of CCP LOL. My respect for Tsui Hark diminshes thanks to his “patriotic” rhetoric. I personally isn’t a fan of the idiocy that individuals should still be loyal to a country if the government has done something egregious to its people. This is a joke! Tsui Hark, however, bent his knees to the CCP regime to misinterpret LOCH classic to such an extent! LOL.
Well, even XZ is my fave, I may not necessarily feel missing much without watching this movie given the propaganda, like Ace Troops.
LOL as expected, first you keep mentioning about watching this movie on netflix for free instead of supporting it in the theaters, then you came up with another excuse to miss it all together. You should stop claiming to be XZ’s fan because he clearly loves China while you don’t. And this story is created by the late Jin Yong, it was there all along. Funny how you didn’t read it all these years until Tsui Hark pointed it out, you should thank him instead. By the way, don’t be hypocritical again, you still support America even though it has done so many terrible things to its citizens.
LOL here comes #1 CCP stooge again! As expected, mere reference of CCP propaganda definitely would trigger you that has led me to wonder if you’re a sleeper agent cuz you completely speak and react like one lurking in the free world LOL.
How XZ feels about his country is not my business. I’m a fan of his acting on screen and that’s it. I’m not that delusional like many C fans who can’t tell reel from real LOL.
The battles were only very small parts that Jin Yong only mentioned in passing in the novel and would be easily overlooked by book fans. It’s all up to a director to interpret the storyline. Obviously, Tsui Hark took an agitprop approach to ass kiss the CCP regime and therefore his interview LOL. I’m entitled to my critique since this has been promoted as an adaptation of the novel. Not every drama fan is dim-witted and gullible. Using XZ as a propaganda tool? CCP is so dumb and fails LOL.
You’re not gonna change as an avid mouthpiece for CCP agenda. You just can’t help spreading anti-West and anti-US sentiment online. I don’t mind reminding you again – move to your beloved country, China, rather than have your own actions hypocritically contradictory to what you advocate.
Support where you live or live where you support! Hypocrites won’t get the point anyway. LOL.
Glossing over the part where you still support America despite it having done many terrible things to its citizens like you, and other countries too LOL.
Go live in China and pledge allegiance to your master CCP rather than spread BS outside China!
Support where you live or simply live where you support LOL. Hypocrite!
Yawn~ 🥱
LMAO at Lilith.😭
Can you all stop talking like Guo Jing supposed to be dumb look or anything, in original by Jin Young, GuoJing is not dumb -_-
You guys just brainwashed by the previous dramas to think that way.
But GJ is not dumb and stupid like you all imagine.
I really like Xiao Zhan in rugged version, many chinese novel fans said this is closer of a guy they imagine as Guo Jing, upright and chivalrous guy.
Guo Jing is real hero.
Not weak and dumb like the one potrayed by Hu Ge which I truly disappointed when I watched years ago.
As expected you never disappoint my expectation. Always so consistent. 1st: I’m a fan of Xiao zhan I’m happy for him yada yada, 2nd: but his work is meh, blabla = it’s not good.3rd: came the avid ccp theorist that will take 2/3 of your comment. And all these while throwing some dirt to others that you call Xiao zhan antis. What a joke.
Interesting negative comments here from international viewers when most of the Chinese general public, LOCH fans and Jin Yong novel fans paise that Tsui Hark’s version closer is the closest to the LOCH novels than the previous drama adaptations, especially in the cast, makeup and costumes. This movie is about the last 6 chapters in the novel which hasn’t been covered by previous adaptations before. The movie just release the latest trailer featuring GJ, HR and ZH and receiving praises for perfect cast and great acting.
Probably because this movie is not geared towards western aesthetics unlike Creation of the Gods (which was way too westernized and ended up looking fake to me though), someone from the previous article said the LOCH trailer doesn’t look sleek and modern.
And I am very thankful that Tsui Hark and CFG chose to remain faithful to the original source material (Jin Yong’s novel) and not adapt a bastardized version of Loch just to appeased the Western aesthetics. Both Jin Yong and wuxia are considered China’s national treasures and every detail of the movie is made to look authentic to that time period – hence it’s not an idol drama as some seem to have mistaken it for. Also I find it laughable that GJ is considered too dark when he himself was born and raised in Mongolia for the first 18 years of his life. People just want to nitpick and hate on the movie.
@Moocy Also, most people probably don’t know that Tsui Hark was one of the original producers of the 1983 TVB LOCH, the most popular LOCH drama adaptation to date. This was mentioned in one of his most recent interviews in the past few days.
I can’t speak for the others, but as a non chinese ASIAN viewer, have no problem with not westernized adaption of this well-known novel or any other eastern story. Actually as someone who is fund of chinese culture and history would be happy to watch a genuine narrative of one of my favorite stories. FYI I have read the book (English translated version) couple of years ago and I am not sure which last chapters you refer to. As far as I remember, the war against the Song was halted due to the Khan’s death and I remember it was depicted in 2003 version. As I said I like that year’s adaption the most because of Huang Rong who happend to be my favorite character of the novel. I was not thrilled for this movie when I saw the poster simply because I have had a different Ronger in my mind (based on the book). It had nothing to do with lacking of western aura of this movie. Anyways, happy to hear that chinese audience like it.
This time, rather than telling the story of how Guo Jing grows up and learns martial arts, Tsui Hark will focus on a section that has not been described too much in the novel or displayed in TV and film adaptations: How Guo Jing and other martial arts masters defend the city of Xiangyang when the Mongolian army marches southward to destroy the Song Dynasty. War scenes are very expensive to filmed so most loch drama adaptations just glossed over them.
This movie is an adaptation of the last 6 chapters of the novel, Chapter 45 to 50. The last 6 chapters are more about Guo Jing after being a master. The last 6 chapters are more about Guo Jing after being a master and after his experience of following Genghis Khan in his invasion of the Khwarazmian Empire in the Central Asia, facing his conflicts with Genghis Khan and deciding where he finally stands for, the Mongol Empire where he grew up, where he has a princess who loves him very much, and with Genghis Khan who looks after him like his son, or the Song Dynasty in the south of China where his deceased father was from and his mother has been educating him to be belonging to. (Reddit)
With Guo Jing’s assistance, the Mongols conquers the Jin Empire and subsequently turn their attention towards the Song Empire. Guo Jing is unwilling to aid the Mongols in attacking his ancestral ground, so he leaves them and returns to the Song Empire to help his fellow Han people counter the impending Mongol invasion. As the author Jin Yong did not go into details about these sections of the novel, Tsui Hark has a lot of room to work with.
You can watch the movie bts here where Tsui harks talks about why he chose to shoot the last arc focusing on the confrontation btwn Guo Jing and Genghis Khan.
https://x.com/lochmovie/status/1882905068661514470?s=61&t=GcaJrScWh6jPv86QqJqIig
Oh my comment finally showed up after half a day. Sorry about the duplicate postings.
See below the latest trailer focusing on just guo jing, Huang rong and Zheng Hua with the iconic ost “Iron Blood, Loyalty Heart” from the 1983 TVB series. This trailer is capturing a lot of interests from the general public as the trailer finally show the romance side of the movie that was missing from the first two trailers l.
https://youtu.be/JCbxx9xGs4Y?si=hKlr0KFsRzCbHVtE
Thank you for sharing and highlighting that this movie focuses on the last six chapters of the novel. This is a significant detail that many people tend to overlook, as discussions often revolve around Guo Jing and Huang Rong’s appearance & personalities rather than the larger narrative at play.
Tsui Hark’s choice to adapt the final arc, which centers on Guo Jing’s internal and external conflicts during the defense of Xiangyang, provides a fresh perspective on the story. Unlike most adaptations that focus on Guo Jing’s growth and martial arts journey, this film sheds light on his evolution as a seasoned hero and the moral dilemmas he faces after experiencing life alongside Genghis Khan. These later chapters depict his struggle between loyalty to the Mongol Empire, where he grew up, and his responsibility to the Song Dynasty, his ancestral home. Since Jin Yong did not elaborate on these sections in detail, Tsui Hark has taken the opportunity to expand on them, adding depth to Guo Jing’s character and his ultimate legacy.
Im so looking forward to watch this version of LOCH!
@Caramel Thank you also for adding your voice and enlightening the readers here on what the actual premise of the movie is about too. It was annoying reading the negative comments here based on their perceptions of the previous drama adaptations and applying them to the new movie made by THE Tsui Hark, the top wuxia director. From reading the Chinese comments on various Chinese social media, the new movie is getting very good word of mouth. I’m also very excited to see the new adaptation and I hope the new movie will get released soon in my country too.
Thanks for your explanation both regarding the history clarification and the novel. I kept wondering how they are going to summerize such a long story to a movie and now it makes sense. I happend to be pretty aware of that time history. Actually my country (Kharazm dynasty) was attacked by Gengiz Khan starting a very dark and bloody chapter in our history which took more than a century of resistance to end with Illkhanate fall. Anyways, as I said a genuine narrative of history/story plays a key role for me. Yet, regarding the cast I still belive on what I said. I understand it is a new perspective of the story but regarding character growth people have their mindset based on the whole of the novel. OK I guess it’s the best to wait and see how it is going to work out.
@Celar Thank you sharing your country’s connection to Genghis Khan – that was amazing to read. And thank you for keeping an open mind about the movie. I respect your opinion about the movie cast and I hope that the movie and cast will surprise you in a positive way!
Is goujing naive in the book?