Weekend In Taipei
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Weekend in Taipei'' is a 2024
action thriller film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...
directed by George Huang and co-written with
Luc Besson Luc Paul Maurice Besson (; born 18 March 1959) is a French filmmaker. He directed and produced the films '' Subway'' (1985), '' The Big Blue'' (1988), and '' La Femme Nikita'' (1990). Associated with the '' Cinéma du look'' film movement, he h ...
. Starring
Luke Evans Luke George Evans (born 15 April 1979) is a Welsh actor and singer. He began his career on the stage, and performed in London's West End productions of '' Rent'', ''Miss Saigon'', and '' Piaf'' before making his film breakthrough in the 2010 ...
,
Gwei Lun-mei Gwei Lun-mei (; born 25 December 1983) is a Taiwanese actress. She started her acting career in 2002, with the film '' Blue Gate Crossing''. Gwei then appeared in a few more films before achieving wide recognition for the film '' Secret'', dir ...
, and
Sung Kang Sung-Ho Kang (; born April 8, 1972) is an Americans, American actor. His first major role was as Han Lue in the ''Fast & Furious'' franchise, a character he first portrayed in ''Better Luck Tomorrow'' (2002). Kang also played John Mak in the tel ...
, the film is a co-production between France and Taiwan, produced and distributed by
EuropaCorp EuropaCorp S.A. (stylised in opening logo as EUROPA CORP. until 2022) is a French motion picture company headquartered in Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris, and one of a few full-service independent studios that both produce and distribute ...
with support from the
Taipei Film Commission The Taipei Film Commission (TFC; ) is an organization based in Da'an District, Taipei, Taiwan. History The commission was established in 2007. Transportation The headquarters of the organization is accessible within walking distance east of ...
, and was filmed and set in
Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...
, Taiwan. Its plot centers around an American DEA agent (Evans) who reunites with a Taipei-based mercenary driver (Gwei) and becomes entangled in a romantic relationship with her. ''Weekend in Taipei'' had its world premiere at the Vieshow Cinemas Xinyi in Taipei, Taiwan on 1 September 2024, and was released in France and Taiwan on 25 September 2024. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised the action sequences and performances, but criticized the screenplay and character development.


Plot

John Lawlor, a
DEA The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Justice tasked with combating illicit drug trafficking and distribution within the U.S. It is the lead agency for domes ...
agent who goes undercover at a Chinese restaurant in
Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
to gather evidence of drug trafficking by a billionaire and disguised seafood merchant named Kwang, is forced to break cover due to a mistake by his colleague, rendering half a year of his undercover work in vain. However, he receives an email from an anonymous informant in
Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...
who claims to possess the ledger of Kwang Enterprises. John informs his supervisor, but the claim is dismissed as a hoax, and John's request to follow the lead is rejected, with his supervisor even forcing him to take a weekend leave to keep him away from the case. Undeterred, John decides to travel to Taipei during this time under a fake identity. Meanwhile, in Taipei, Kwang discovers that his adoptive son, Raymond, is the mole who stole his ledger. Raymond, unaware of Kwang's drug dealing, believes the ledger documents Kwang Enterprises' involvement in killing dolphins and intends to expose his father's role in environmental pollution. Joey, Kwang's wife who was forced to marry him 15 years ago for protection, pleads for her son's life. However, Raymond reveals that he has already entrusted the ledger to a friend, who is delivering it to DEA agent John at
Marriott Taipei Marriott Taipei is a hotel on Lequn 2nd Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei, Taiwan. The hotel is located in Block C of the Yihwa International Complex and is the first Marriott Hotel in Taiwan. With a total of 502 rooms and 5 restaurants, the hot ...
. Kwang sends his men to recover the ledger, but as he attempts to dismember Raymond as punishment, he is knocked out by Joey and Raymond. The mother and son then head to the hotel, intending to warn the DEA agents. Since Raymond gives Kwang the wrong room number, they reach John first and reveal that Joey and John know each other. Before Joey can explain the situation, Kwang's men arrive, leading to a shootout between the two factions. John's companions are all shot dead, and the ledger is seized, but John manages to escape with Joey and Raymond. After evading both Kwang's men and the police, Joey brings John and Raymond to the fishing village where she grew up, seeking refuge at her grandmother's house. She reveals that John is actually Raymond's father, shocking both of them. John confronts Joey, whom he met while undercover as a drug trafficker 15 years ago, revealing his true identity to her after falling in love and helping her escape. Joey reveals that she was pregnant at that time but did not have the chance to tell John before leaving, and she was heartbroken to realize that John had been lying to her all along. He apologizes and promises never to leave her and Raymond again, leading to their reconciliation. Meanwhile, Raymond realizes that a rhino miniature on Kwang's desk is actually a
flash drive A flash drive is a portable computer drive that uses flash memory. Flash drives are the larger memory modules consisting of a number of flash chips. A flash chip is used to read the contents of a single cell, but it can write entire block of ce ...
containing a digital version of his ledger. Despite his parents' objections, he sneaks out of the village to return home and steal Kwang's flash drive but is caught by Kwang. Kwang holds Raymond hostage and calls Joey and John to negotiate. John offers to exchange their lives, and the two factions agree to meet in
Ximending Ximending is a neighborhood and shopping district in the Wanhua District of Taipei, Taiwan. The Ximending Pedestrian Area was the first pedestrian zone constructed in Taipei and remains the largest in Taiwan. History Name The area is named aft ...
. However, Kwang breaks his promise during the meeting, refusing to release Raymond and abducting Joey instead. Just before his men execute John, he outmaneuvers them and takes down all of Kwang's enforcers. He then navigates the complex alleys and catches up with Kwang's escaping vehicle, kicking Kwang out and forcing him to flee on foot. The chase continues, culminating in a fight at a theater, where John subdues Kwang and has him arrested by the arriving police. Reuniting with Joey and Raymond, the family reconciles and takes a trip to
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, where Joey reveals that she is pregnant with their second child.


Cast

*
Luke Evans Luke George Evans (born 15 April 1979) is a Welsh actor and singer. He began his career on the stage, and performed in London's West End productions of '' Rent'', ''Miss Saigon'', and '' Piaf'' before making his film breakthrough in the 2010 ...
as John Lawlor, an American DEA agent *
Gwei Lun-mei Gwei Lun-mei (; born 25 December 1983) is a Taiwanese actress. She started her acting career in 2002, with the film '' Blue Gate Crossing''. Gwei then appeared in a few more films before achieving wide recognition for the film '' Secret'', dir ...
as Joey, a top Taipei-based mercenary driver *
Sung Kang Sung-Ho Kang (; born April 8, 1972) is an Americans, American actor. His first major role was as Han Lue in the ''Fast & Furious'' franchise, a character he first portrayed in ''Better Luck Tomorrow'' (2002). Kang also played John Mak in the tel ...
as Kwang, the leader of a drug cartel * Wyatt Yang as Raymond, Joey and John's son * Pernell Walker as Charlotte Fields, John's DEA supervisor * Tuo Tsung-hua as Deputy Liu, a Taiwanese police detective *
Lu Yi-ching Lu Yi-ching (born 23 October 1958) is a Taiwanese actress. She has appeared in several films directed by Tsai Ming-liang, such as ''What Time Is It There?'' and ''The Wayward Cloud'', and films by Cheng Wen-tang, including ''Blue Cha Cha''. Lu l ...
as Po-po, Joey's grandmother * Patrick Lee as Bolo, Kwang's bodyguard and right-hand man Also appearing in the film are
Andy Wu Andy Qu may refer to: * Andy Wu (actor), a Taiwanese actor * Andy Wu (wrestler), a Japanese wrestler {{hndis, Wu, Andy ...
and Fay Wu as Kwang's assistants;
Janet Hsieh Janet Josephine Hsieh (; born January 20, 1980) is a Taiwanese-American television personality, model, and violinist based in Taipei, Taiwan. She is the host of the Discovery Travel and Living Channel's long-running series ''Fun Taiwan''.Taiwan ...
cameos as a woman witnessing Joey's pregnancy test in the restroom; while Allison Lin cameos as a flight attendant.


Production


Development

In 2013, director
Luc Besson Luc Paul Maurice Besson (; born 18 March 1959) is a French filmmaker. He directed and produced the films '' Subway'' (1985), '' The Big Blue'' (1988), and '' La Femme Nikita'' (1990). Associated with the '' Cinéma du look'' film movement, he h ...
and producer
Virginie Besson-Silla Virginie Besson-Silla (born 1972) is a French film producer. She has made a variety of different films including action films, romantic films, comic adaptations, biographical films and an animation. Life and career Silla was born in Ottawa, O ...
filmed the French sci-fi film ''
Lucy Lucy is an English language, English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings ar ...
'' in Taiwan. The duo was impressed by the city's landscapes and asserted they would to return for another project. In 2022, Taiwanese-American director George Huang conceived a film about a female mercenary driver set in Asia and approached Luc Besson to help develop the project. Initially set in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
, the project became unavailable due to shifts in funding. Besson then suggested that Huang change the setting to
Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...
. Huang and the Bessons, along with director
Olivier Megaton Olivier Megaton (born Olivier Fontana; 6 August 1965) is a French director, writer, and editor who directed the films '' The Red Siren'', '' Transporter 3'', ''Colombiana'', '' Taken 2'' and ''Taken 3''. Early life Fontana was born in Paris, 20 ...
, went to Taipei for location scouting in February 2023, and met with
Taipei City , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Countr ...
mayor Chiang Wan-an, who announced that the film would be supported by the Taipei City Government and the
Taipei Film Commission The Taipei Film Commission (TFC; ) is an organization based in Da'an District, Taipei, Taiwan. History The commission was established in 2007. Transportation The headquarters of the organization is accessible within walking distance east of ...
would join the production. The scout spanned fourteen days, after which Huang agreed to use Taipei as the backdrop and revised the screenplay accordingly. Under the working title ''Weekend Escape Project'', the film was announced to be produced by
EuropaCorp EuropaCorp S.A. (stylised in opening logo as EUROPA CORP. until 2022) is a French motion picture company headquartered in Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris, and one of a few full-service independent studios that both produce and distribute ...
in June 2023, with
Luke Evans Luke George Evans (born 15 April 1979) is a Welsh actor and singer. He began his career on the stage, and performed in London's West End productions of '' Rent'', ''Miss Saigon'', and '' Piaf'' before making his film breakthrough in the 2010 ...
and
Gwei Lun-mei Gwei Lun-mei (; born 25 December 1983) is a Taiwanese actress. She started her acting career in 2002, with the film '' Blue Gate Crossing''. Gwei then appeared in a few more films before achieving wide recognition for the film '' Secret'', dir ...
cast as the lead actors. The film marks EuropaCorp's first production after the company's financial restructuring and a four-year hiatus. In August, Korean-American actor
Sung Kang Sung-Ho Kang (; born April 8, 1972) is an Americans, American actor. His first major role was as Han Lue in the ''Fast & Furious'' franchise, a character he first portrayed in ''Better Luck Tomorrow'' (2002). Kang also played John Mak in the tel ...
joined the cast. In March 2024, the distribution rights in North America were acquired by Ketchup Entertainment. In August, an official trailer was released, with Patrick Lee revealed to be part of the cast.


Filming

Principal photography began on 3 July 2023 in
Taipei , nickname = The City of Azaleas , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country ...
and was expected to span across three months, with Evans arriving in Taiwan to prepare for the shoot in June. The entire filming crew was composed of Taiwanese filmmakers. Location shooting in Taipei took place at various sites, including Zhongshan Hall, Lions' Plaza Commercial Building, and Luoyang Car Park in Wanhua District; the Taipei Performing Arts Center, Shezi Bridge, and Guandu Nature Park in Shilin District; Taipei Dome, Taipei 101, and Taipei City Hall in Xinyi District, Taipei, Xinyi District; Taipei Arena in Songshan District, Taipei, Songshan District; and Taipei Music Center in Nangang District, Taipei, Nangang District. On 15 July, Daniel Wu and
Janet Hsieh Janet Josephine Hsieh (; born January 20, 1980) is a Taiwanese-American television personality, model, and violinist based in Taipei, Taiwan. She is the host of the Discovery Travel and Living Channel's long-running series ''Fun Taiwan''.Taiwan ...
were seen with the cast in Neihu District, Taipei. Production moved to Keelung on 25 July, where a car chase scene was shot near Dawulun Beach, as well as at the Aodi Fishing Harbor. On 11 August, filming took place at the Grand Victoria Hotel in Zhongshan District, Taipei, Zhongshan District. Shooting then occurred on American Street in
Ximending Ximending is a neighborhood and shopping district in the Wanhua District of Taipei, Taiwan. The Ximending Pedestrian Area was the first pedestrian zone constructed in Taipei and remains the largest in Taiwan. History Name The area is named aft ...
on 22 August, with Besson and Kang spotted on set. Additional scenes were captured in Datong District, Taipei, Datong District and Daan District, Taipei, Daan District, and the entire production filed a total of twelve road closure applications, including closing the Ziqiang Tunnel to film a car crash scene, making it the most applied-for film in Taiwan's history. Most of the interior scenes were filmed at
Marriott Taipei Marriott Taipei is a hotel on Lequn 2nd Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei, Taiwan. The hotel is located in Block C of the Yihwa International Complex and is the first Marriott Hotel in Taiwan. With a total of 502 rooms and 5 restaurants, the hot ...
, where the foreign cast and crew stayed during the shoot, with the hotel mainly serving as the setting for a business tower, as well as the characters' homes and offices. Filming ultimately concluded on 29 August.


Release

''Weekend in Taipei'' had its world premiere at Vieshow Cinemas Xinyi in Taipei, Taiwan on 1 September 2024, followed by a theatrical release in France and Taiwan on 25 September. The film was subsequently released on 8 November in North America.


Reception


Box office

''Weekend in Taipei'' debuted at the top of Taiwan's weekly box office, but fell to fifth place in its second week, grossing NTD$6.68 million (US$206,000) and achieving an accumulated total of NTD$40.58 million (US$1.25 million). Internationally, the film opened in the United States and Canada with US$360,000 from 1,021 theaters in its first weekend, for which ''Deadline Hollywood'' described the figures as "lackluster".


Critical response

Dennis Harvey of ''Variety (magazine), Variety'' described ''Weekend in Taipei'' as a "familiar, formulaic but fun action-thriller", offering a throwback to boilerplate action films with energetic chase scenes and a light-hearted tone, but ultimately lacking depth and memorability. Mae Abdulbaki of ''Screen Rant'' described the film as "charming, well-shot, thrilling, and, above all, entertaining", noting that while the characters may lack depth and memorability, the "game cast and thrilling action sequences", along with a "surprising amount of humor", provide a refreshing and engaging viewing experience. James Marsh of ''South China Morning Post'' gave the film 2/5 stars, observing that despite Gwei Lun-mei's "captivating" performance and the abundance of action, it was "repeatedly bogged down by unnecessary backstory and exposition", and he suggested that "budgetary constraints or simply a lack of creativity" contributed to its failure to deliver the aesthetics commonly found in Luc Besson's works. Christy Lemire of ''RogerEbert.com'' rated the film 2.5/4 stars, describing it as a "B-movie straight out of the 1990s" with "solid" and "over-the-top" action sequences, but criticized its "hilariously stupid" dialogue and lack of character development, which rendered it ultimately forgettable. Estella Huang of ''Mirror Media'' described the film as a "Hollywood-level action film" that showcases Taipei's beautiful cityscape, but criticizes it for its thin storyline and underdeveloped emotional relationships, ultimately simplifying the complexity of its romantic and familial themes into basic dialogue and action sequences. Berton Hsu, writing for ''The News Lens'', considered the film as a commercially driven popcorn movie aimed at global appeal, noting that while it features compelling action and thrilling vibes, it lacks authenticity and misrepresents Taiwan with a convoluted plot.


References


External links

* {{Luc Besson 2024 films 2024 action films 2020s English-language films 2020s French films 2020s Taiwanese films French action films English-language French films Films set in Taipei Films shot in Taipei EuropaCorp films Films with screenplays by Luc Besson Films about drugs Films about interracial romance Films directed by George Huang