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SCMP Reporter

Wanted: a handsome hunk to play the leading man in Kung Fu the movie, a spin-off of the 1970s hit television  series.
Director Max Makowski  is in town checking out the talent.
He is looking for  a handsome mix of east-meets-west, aged 20 to 35,  who can speak English fluently, but with an American accent.
Makowski was not overwhelmed with candidates on the first day of auditions yesterday but was confident the city  would provide what he was looking for to play Kwai Chang Caine, the main character originally played by David Carradine.
Carradine played Caine in the 1972-1975 western television series,  a Shaolin monk trained in kung fu skills who finds himself  fighting injustice in America.
Makowski said he had  met some candidates who had interesting potential.
'We'll watch the tapes again to see if we're going to call them later,' he said. 'You need a certain type of person. It's quite challenging.'
Even if none of the hopefuls fit the bill, Makowski said some could have qualities for  a part in future.
'I'm going to keep people in mind for future movies. It's good to collect a library of talented people,' he said.
About 20 Asian men  from around the world tried their luck yesterday, including hopefuls from New York, Montreal, Tokyo,  Sydney and - Foshan .
Yasufumi Minowa,  from Japan, who included a somersault in his display  before Makowski, said he admired local kung fu master  Donnie Yen Chi-tan  and actor-stuntman Sammo Hung Kam-bo  and had learnt karate and Thai boxing.
'I didn't sleep last night,' he said afterwards before rushing to shoot an advertisement. 'I think I have a bit of a chance.'
Auditions for the Warner Brothers-Legendary Pictures  movie have  been held in Los Angeles, Vancouver, Hawaii and Singapore. Makowski said Hong Kong, as an international city loaded with east-meets-west qualities,  had the most potential for turning up Mr Right.
He said the movie would be shot on the mainland, with post production carried out in Hong Kong.   Instead of having a big Hollywood star playing the lead, Makowski said it was a chance to discover new talent. 'For any movie, it's good to get a new guy,' he said 'It's like a treasure that you discover.'
Makowski said the city  also had a lot of  production talent, while veteran actor Frances Ng Chun-yu,  who worked with him  on One Last Dance,  may make an appearance.
'I would like to work with him. I'd have to say he's one of the five top actors in the world,' he said.
Auditions continue today with more than 20 appointments, plus walk-ins and a few celebrity actors   in Lan Kwai Fong.
Kung Fu starts filming in March, with an estimated release date in the summer of 2009.
The movie has a US$40 million budget, excluding the cast and director's fees.



Director of Kung Fu spin-off auditions in HK for leading man