No Reserve

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No Reserve
Also known as Rosy Business III
Genre Period drama
Format Serial
Created by Lee Tim-sing
Written by Ip Kwong-yam
Starring Wayne Lai
Myolie Wu
Edwin Siu
Sire Ma
Country of origin Hong Kong
Original language(s) Cantonese
No. of episodes 30
Production
Executive producer(s) Catherine Tsang
Producer(s) Lee Tim-sing
Camera setup Multi camera
Running time 45 mins.
Production company(s) TVB
Broadcast
Original channel Jade, HD Jade
Picture format HDTV (1080i)
Chronology
Related shows Rosy Business (2009)
No Regrets (2010)
No Reserve
Simplified Chinese 巾帼枭雄之谍血长天
Traditional Chinese 巾幗梟雄之諜血長天
Literal meaning Veiled Heroine, Ruthless Hero: Espionage Through Continuous Time

No Reserve (Chinese: 巾幗梟雄之諜血長天), also known as Rosy Business III, is an upcoming Hong Kong espionage television drama serial created and produced by Lee Tim-sing. Produced by TVB, no Reserve is the third installment of the critically acclaimed Rosy Business period drama franchise.[1] Previous installments include 2009's Rosy Business and 2010's No Regrets.

Set primarily in Canton, China (now known as Guangzhou) during the Second Sino-Japanese War, the story follows the affairs of Chinese Republican spies and their entanglements with underground triads and the Empire of Japan.[2] Wayne Lai will star as special government agent Kong Sheung-hung. Co-starring will be Myolie Wu as Kong's partner, Cheung Kei-sang, and Edwin Siu as triad leader, Chau Sai-kai.

Ip Kwong-yam, who returned to TVB in 2012 after a sixteen-year hiatus, will helm the script for No Reserve. Ip drafted a preliminary script for No Reserve in May 2012 and began officially working on the project after the completion of Lee's other production, Detective Columbo, in August 2012. A costume fitting press conference was held on February 20. Principal photography began on March 11 in Hong Kong. Other locations include Foshan and Zhongshan.[3]

Production

Development

TVB was eager to produce a third installment of the franchise after the critical and commercial success of the second, No Regrets. Producer Lee Tim-sing was reportedly against the idea of making a third, but agreed to helm the project if Rosy Business executive scriptwriter and assistant creative director, Cheung Wah-biu, would return to TVB.[4] Cheung, however, ultimately decided to sign with Taiwan's Next TV instead.

The production of No Reserve was put on hold. Lee expressed that without Cheung, he would be unable to continue the franchise.[5] In December 2011, Lee announced that he would consider retirement after finishing the post-production work of his crime serial, Detective Columbo.[6] Lee also admitted that the unsatisfying ratings from his 2011 drama, Bottled Passion, had significantly impacted this decision.[7]

Despite his hopes for retirement, TVB contacted Lee for a contract renewal in late 2012. Lee eventually renewed his TVB contract in the spring of 2012 after TVB agreed to increase his pay and reduce his workload to one drama serial per year.[8] In September 2012, Lee confirmed that he has already begun pre-production on No Reserve; Lee's longtime collaborator and Detective Columbo executive scriptwriter, Ip Kwong-yam, was also confirmed to helm the script.[2]

Ip had previously drafted a preliminary script for No Reserve in May 2012. He formally began working on the project after the filming of Detective Columbo in August 2012. The Chinese working title of No Reserve was announced to be "Dip Hyut Chi Hung" (Chinese: 諜血雌雄; literally "Espionage Heroes"). The title was later changed to "Dip Hyut Cheung Tin" (Chinese: 諜血長天; literally "espionage through continuous time").

Casting

The success of Rosy Business and No Regrets has relaunched the careers of main leads, Sheren Tang and Wayne Lai. Both leads respectively won best actress and actor at the TVB Anniversary Awards two years in a row for their acclaimed performances. In late 2011, Lai stated that he would be willing to push aside other filming offers in order to accommodate his schedule to film No Reserve. Lai reconfirmed this statement with the Singaporean media in July 2012.[8] Tang also privately agreed to help Lee in No Reserve if her schedule allowed.[9]

When the No Reserve project was announced to be reopened in September 2012, Lai was also confirmed to return. A few days later, Lee announced that Myolie Wu would replace Tang as the serial's lead actress.[10] With the exception of Lai, a core star to the franchise, Lee indicated that No Reserve will feature an entirely younger and fresher cast.[10] Lee received a lot of complaints on Wu's casting; the complaints said that Tang played an irreplaceable role in the Rosy Business franchise. Wu's acting abilities were also questioned. Lee defended Wu, gushing that Wu was a TVB fadan who he wanted to collaborate with the most.[10]

Following Wu's casting, Lee announced that Edwin Siu have been cast as the serial's second male lead. Natalie Tong and Sire Ma were also announced to have joined, but Tong left the cast in early 2012 due to a schedule clash.[11]

A sales presentation trailer was filmed in October 2012. Helena Law, Yoyo Chen, Eric Li, Cheung Kwok-keung, and returning cast members Susan Tse and Li Shing-cheong were confirmed to join the cast in February 2013.[12]

Confirmed cast and characters

Main

  • Wayne Lai as Suzuki Kazuo (鈴木一雄) and Kong Sheung-hung (江尚紅), a pair of twin brothers who were separated at a young age. Lai, who was willing to push aside other filming offers in order to accommodate his schedule to film No Reserve, was the first of the cast to be confirmed in late 2011. In regards of him portraying two different characters, Lai said, "It is difficult. The older brother ended up in Japan and was educated with Japanese culture, later becoming a Japanese businessman. He is also a man with wild ambitions. The younger brother stayed in China and joins the guerrilla team... in the end, the two brothers would have to confront each other."[13]
  • Myolie Wu as Cheung Kei-sang (張寄生), a special agent for the Communist Party of China. Wu expressed that No Reserve is one of her most challenging scripts: "It is a powerful [story], with many ups and downs. It takes place during a war, so there will be tragic partings of life and death... it forces one to make certain decisions and choices. It's a brilliant script." On replacing Sheren Tang as the franchise's female lead, Myolie admitted that the role had given her a lot of pressure, but said, "It is a completely new story. No one can replace [Tang]. Our performances will inevitably be compared, but I will do my best on my part."[14] As for Tang's response, she said, "[Producer Lee] has already stated before that he could not come up with a suitable story line for me and [Lai] in [No Reserve]. I trust his judgment."[15]
  • Edwin Siu as Chau Sai-kai (周細雞), a womanising Kuomintang special agent who eventually goes psychotic, raping and assaulting random innocent people for his amusement. Siu said that he has never come upon a more challenging character to portray, also expressing, "But no matter how many girls I touch, I will still be faithfully in love with Sang (Wu's character) until the end."[13] Siu is the second cast member to be confirmed to star in No Reserve. In 2008, Siu was in final negotiations to star in Rosy Business, but ultimately withdrew due to a schedule clash.[16]
  • Sire Ma as Kam Wan-ling (金韞凌), a fallen Qing Dynasty princess. Ma was thrilled to be able to take part in the franchise, saying, "I have been hoping to take part in the franchise since I first heard that a third was in the making. It's a dream come true."[17]

Supporting

References

  1. ↑ Addy (22 August 2012). "Rosy Business 3 to Begin Filming in March 2013". JayneStars. Retrieved 14 February 2013. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Addy (8 October 2012). "Myolie Wu and Wayne Lai to Portray Spies in Rosy Business 3". JayneStars. Retrieved 14 February 2013. 
  3. ↑ "kuangaitvb's Weibo". kuangaitvb (in Chinese). 21 February 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2013. 
  4. ↑ Jayne (6 August 2011). "Wayne Lai to Star in 'Rosy Business 3'; Scriptwriter Cheung Wah Biu Returns to TVB". Retrieved 14 February 2013. 
  5. ↑ Jayne (21 September 2011). "Heavyweight TVB Series Lined Up for 2012 To Save Ratings". JayneStars. 
  6. ↑ "Lee Tim-sing's last project". Mingpao (in Traditional Chinese). 22 December 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2013. 
  7. ↑ Jayne (27 December 2011). "Producer Lee Tim Sing Curses TVB for Airing 'Bottled Passion' in Poor Timeslot". Retrieved 14 February 2013. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Addy (30 July 2012). "Producer Lee Tim Sing Considers 'Rosy Business 3'". JayneStars. Retrieved 14 February 2013. 
  9. ↑ Ah K (1 September 2011). JayneStars http://www.jaynestars.com/news/war-and-beauty-2-fights-with-rosy-business-3-for-sheren-tang-ada-choi-kate-tsui-and-tavia-yeung-join-war-and-beauty-2-cast/ |url= missing title (help). Retrieved 14 February 2013. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Stella (6 September 2012). "Lee Tim Sing Confirms Myolie Wu Joining 'Rosy Business 3'". Retrieved 14 February 2013. 
  11. ↑ "Natalie Tong's Weibo" (in Chinese). Retrieved 16 February 2013. 
  12. ↑ "KuangaiTVB's Weibo" (in Chinese). Retrieved 16 February 2013. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "TVB Entertainment News, 2013-02-20". TVB (in Cantonese). Retrieved 20 February 2013. 
  14. ↑ "Myolie Wu feels pressure playing female lead". Yahoo! Hong Kong (in Chinese). 4 October 2013. Retrieved 20 February 2013. 
  15. ↑ "Sheren Tang responds to Myolie Wu's 'Rosy Business III' casting". Singtao (in Chinese). 29 September 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2013. 
  16. ↑ "Edwin Siu confirmed for Lee Tim-shing's Detective Columbo". IHKTV (in Chinese). 2012-03-11. Retrieved 2012-03-11. 
  17. ↑ "Scoop, 2013-02-20". TVB (in Cantonese). Retrieved 20 February 2013. 

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