The year was BC221 when Qin Shihuang - the first Emperor of China - started to build a royal tomb for himself despite his infatuation with immortality. Through the prodigious endeavours of more than 700,000 forced labourers, the mausoleum was completed 37 years later. Legend has it that, to ensure utmost secrecy, all those who worked on the project were buried alive with the dead Emperor. There were no survivors.

Over the next two thousand years, historians, tomb-raiders, and happy- go-lucky adventurers alike have been homing in on the royal treasure buried within. However, no one has ever succeeded in locating the entrance to the mausoleum. Thus the bulk of the First Emperor’s treasure, including his much-fabled elixir of youth, remains intact.

Until now, that is…

Intrepid archeologist Jack (JACKIE CHAN) and ambitious scientist William (TONY LEUNG KA FAI) set out on an adventure that would lead them to the greatest discovery in Chinese history. Their journey starts at Dasar, India, where they stumble upon an ancient sword from the Qin Dynasty and a magical gemstone that appears to be able to defy the force of gravity. The booty not only leads them to the mythical mausoleum, but it also connects Jack to his dark past life. Through strange and provocative dreams, Jack sees himself reincarnated as Meng Yi, a general who fell for the First Emperor’s beautiful consort Ok Soo (KIM HEE SEON) some two thousand years ago. As Meng Yi commands his troops in an increasingly desperate war against rebels, he also has to battle his own inner desires in choosing between eternal love and loyalty. Returning to the present day, the final secret of the First Emperor is about to be revealed. The two adventurers successfully enter the Heavenly Palace, a fortress loaded with death traps and unspeakable evils, as Jack comes face-to-face with his past. Or is it really?

Director Stanley Tong aims to create an extravaganza combining Chinese mythology with a breath-taking modern-day action adventure in The Myth. Co-written with Wang Hui-ling (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon), The Myth marks Stanley’s fourth collaboration with Jackie Chan, following global blockbusters Super Cop, Rumble in the Bronx and First Strike. Jackie Chan is joined here in a stellar international cast by acclaimed actor Tony Leung Ka-Fai (The Lover), top actress Kim Hee Seon (Bichunmoo and A Letter from Mars) and action star Choi Min Soo - both from Korea, as well as sensational Indian beauty Mallika Sherawat

Production Note:

In order to make the theme of THE MYTH work, and to bring the audience into our magical world together with our characters, we used a lot of computer effects in the film.

The Anti-gravitational Laboratory

It is recorded in Chinese history that in the 36th year of the reign of emperor Qin Shihuang, “a star fell from the sky into the Eastern Province, where it became stone.” The stone foretold that the earth would split for the death of Qin Shihuang. The emperor, who was at the time on a quest for the Elixir of Eternal Youth, killed the villagers who lived near the rock – and then discovered its incredible power of anti-gravity.

The fascination with anti-gravitational elements is not new. For many centuries, Indian fakirs have been said to levitate. It is equally amazing for us now when we see magic shows where the performers defy gravity. So what is this power, really?

In the film, Jack’s best buddy William (played by Tony Leung Ka-Fai, The Lover) is a scientist who would give anything to find that out. And so when we film in William’s Anti-Gravitational Lab, it would be very challenging to build or find a real lab to film in, fill it with authentic-looking equipment, some of which may not be invented yet. So here is where computer effects are the perfect solution for this production problem.

The Land of THE MYTH – The Palace in the Sky

It is described in various historical texts, that the Qin emperor had built a Palace in the Sky, but because it was never illustrated in historical or archaeological findings, no one really knows what it looks like, or if indeed such a place ever existed. With the help of computer modeling, artists used Qin dynasty architectural and design elements in creating the Palace in the Sky, the ethereal, striking, and romantic setting for the climactic ending of the film.

The General's Final Battle

The largest set in THE MYTH is most certainly the one used for the main battle scene in the film. The production team had already shot on location; creating a battle scene involving thousands of soldiers and horses from the Chinese military and cavalry posing as the mighty army of the Qin Dynasty, battling in the Yellow River Forest of Rocks in faraway Jinsu Province and the Jinxi Plains of Beijing.

This epic US$20 million spectacle not only spans two thousand years, but also in making it the cast and crew had to do their own share of ‘time travelling’. They spent countless hours travelling from coast to coast across the vast expanses of China and India so that filming could be done in the most perfect locations. Thus audiences will be treated to exotic and spectacular backdrops that range from the Stone Forest in Gansu, the wild west of China, and the karst caves of Jiuxiang in Yunnan to the Monkey Mountain and the Virupaksha and Vithala temples in historic Hampi, in southern India.

As WILLIAM
Jack’s buddy William is determined to be the greatest scientist in the world. He continually asks for help from Jack, until they both fall prey to an evil plot. William finally pays the ultimate price for his desire.