If someone told you a movie with John Cena And Jackie Chan hitting theaters soon, your ears will probably perk up. The idea of bringing these two famous action stars together for a film is certainly full of potential, especially since Chan is still capable of incredible stunts. Here’s the thing: this movie exists, it’s called Snafu - formerly known as Project X And Project X-Traction - and filming ended many years ago. However, for now Snafu once set for a notable theatrical debut, there has been no word since on when this film, which was financed almost entirely by Chinese companies, would actually hit the screens or even If he will see the light someday. What happened here? How could the film that brought Cena and Chan together become the equivalent of The day the clown cried for a modern action movie hack?
What happened to John Cena and Jackie Chan’s “Snafu”?
To understand what happened, we must go to the beginning Snafu, especially as the project began to unfold. In June 2018, Deadline reported that Cena would star in a film with Chan, which would be filmed in China. A lot has changed since then and now, including Cena’s level as an actor. This casting took place a few months before bumblebee came out, not to mention his more high-profile works in Suicide Squad or F9. Meanwhile, the romance between Hollywood studios and China that has continued throughout the 2010s is only now beginning to show signs of troubles related to the tumultuous US-China trade relationship.
Even though there were some ominous signs of trouble ahead, the two film industries were pretty much still friends, and that made the production feel like Snafu used by American directors and actors still seem enticing. Shortly before filming began in June 2018, director Scott Waugh and lead actors Chan and Cena talked about how excited they were for the film. “It will be something special,” Cena said, according to THR. “Not only will we make a good film, I will still learn a lot.” For his part, Chan was excited about what kind of characters the project could bring to the Chinese film industry. “China as a country is now bigger and stronger, so we really need heroes,” Chang explained.
The same publication also noted that the main performers agreed that Snafu (then called Project X) hopes to replicate the recent success of major domestic action films such as Wolf Warriors 2. The piece ended with an unintentionally disturbing note in which Waugh expressed his hope that the production could be seen as a new standard for US-China film collaboration. “Cross-pollination has always been a problem,” Waugh said. “But we want him to entertain audiences everywhere.”
Filming went off without much of the notoriously hiccups, with Cena talking about his love of living in China during filming in September 2018. By the end of the year, the cameras finished filming Snafu. It was then that everything calmed down for the project, and in 2019 there was not the slightest hint of plans for the release of this action movie. Sina is mentioned Snafu promoting Doolittle in January 2020, but solely to talk about his love for Chan and how he treats his team members. The gentle antidote paints a beautiful picture of his co-star, but Cena has given no clue as to when this film will finally see the light of day.
The COVID-19 pandemic creates additional challenges for the release of the film
The film’s already uncertain release trajectory turned into even more chaos when the COVID-19 pandemic closed theaters in China for the first time. Snafu primary market in January 2020 before the rest of the world’s multiplexes followed suit just two months later. Snafu could not have reached the box office heights in China that he aspired to if there were no cinemas where it could be shown. When Chinese theaters reopened in July 2021, there was still not a word about them. Snafuwith multiplexes in this country focusing instead on showing films such as the successful war drama, Eight hundred.
This is another problem that is most likely choking Snafu release. In the past few years, and especially in 2021, mainstream Chinese cinema has mostly been more interested in local productions featuring Chinese movie stars. While from time to time Avengers: Endgame can still dominate the Chinese box office, the likes of Wolf Warriors 2 And Hi, Mom are now the de facto titles that Chinese moviegoers are rushing after. So an action movie where John Cena is on equal footing with Jackie Chan sounds like a marketing risk for Chinese distributors in 2021.
Cena’s Own Snafu Could Delay Snafu Even More
The whole project seems even more risky to such people due to Sina’s recent PR mess. In May 2021, while promoting F9, Sina called Taiwan a country heavily disapproved of by the Chinese media. This prompted a backlash from China and a quick apology from Sina. The reaction to the latest development drew criticism from Cena both in the West and the East, and it’s unclear if Chinese moviegoers will now be looking for an action movie starring John Cena, even one that pairs it with Jackie Chan. Snafu has already spent years hiding in obscurity, but Cena’s recent public troubles have helped alienate the only country that had to come out in droves to see it.
It is also unclear how attractive a game like Snafu. While Cena’s Taiwanese turmoil hasn’t affected the box office or release of recent games like F9 or Recreation of friendsthe big problem is that Chinese films rarely get big hits in the US. Wolf Warriors 2 could only secure distribution from Well Go USA in America.
Are American stars helping or hurting Jackie Chan’s career?
Meanwhile, Skiptrays2016 film in which Chan along with Johnny Knoxville, could only get a direct-to-video-on-demand release in the US, so even the novelty of a well-known American actor doesn’t help homegrown Chinese films gain wide distribution. Despite starring a couple of lead actors and with an $80 million budget, it’s unclear if there’s much demand for a notable release for the film. Snafu at the two largest film markets in the world.
Where Snafu go from here? Hard to tell. The Chinese film industry offers little to no explanation for when films are suddenly shelved. Eight hundred was originally scheduled to debut in 2019, but was suddenly pushed back for a whole year. Thus, it is unlikely that there will be much clarity regarding the future Snafu, especially since its box office performance in any major territory seems low at best. John Cena and Jackie Chan’s biggest hope is that maybe some direct distributor of the video can pick it up and release it digitally.
It leaves Snafu in an incredibly awkward position, especially considering all the high hopes that had once been placed on him. The notion of Cena and Chan starring in an action movie still sounds like it could be a fun movie, while the enduring appeal of both Chan and action movies in China certainly gave the impression that Snafu become a box office hit in the world’s largest film market. But a lot has changed since Snafu started filming now. All these changes remain Snafu in a state of such tense limbo that it seems likely that we will never get to that movie.
Source: Collider
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