Andy Lau Sees Future X-Cops As Big Step for HK Cinema

Generation X: A kung fu star breaks new ground as a cop from 2085.

With the market inundated with kung fu and historical epics, Andy Lau hopes his new sci-fi movie will break new ground for Chinese-language cinema.

The 48-year-old actor-singer attended the premiere for “Future X-Cops” in his native Hong Kong late Wednesday, describing his role as a police officer in 2085 who travels to 2015 to protect a teenager destined to become a prominent scientist.

“I think we’ve taken the first step in making sci-fi movies. I hope more people will try to shoot these kinds of films. I hope our skill and ability will improve and pull us closer to Western sci-fi movies,” Lau told reporters.

Lau said he wore a green jumpsuit during shooting so a computer-generated armor could be applied onto his body.

“We wanted to present something new to audiences. People have seen many action movies. They’ve seen many comedies,” director Wong Jing said.

But “Future X-Cops,” which co-stars actresses Fan Binging and Barbie Hsu, faces a tough challenge coming shortly after the massive success of “Avatar,” the James Cameron 3-D epic that went on to become the global box office champion of all-time. It was also a huge hit in mainland China.

“Future X-Cops” is also Lau’s first release since he was exposed for lying about his marriage, which was seen by some as a ploy to maintain his appeal by projecting the image of a bachelor. The veteran entertainer denied that he was married in a TV interview last February, but Hong Kong journalists tracked down marriage records that showed he wed his Malaysian girlfriend Carol Chu in the U.S. in June 2008. Lau was forced to make a public apology.

But Lau’s popularity appear unaffected at the Hong Kong premiere on Wednesday. He was cheered on by about 200 squealing fans after he emerged on an outdoor stage near a popular mall in the Causeway Bay shopping district.

MIN LEE, AP Entertainment Writer HONG KONG