Donnie Yen has announced that he will not star in SPL 2 but won't rule out the possibility of a cameo appearance. Because of commitments to two other projects, Dragon City and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2, he will not be available. Wilson Yip, director of the first SPL film, will return as a producer of the project.
Soi Cheang, director of solid action films like Dog Bite Dog, Accident and Motorway, will take over the helm. He recently completed production on Monkey King with Donnie Yen which is why Yen may make a cameo in this film. Sammo Hung, Wu Jing, Andy On and Francis Ng are still attached to the project. It has been suggested that the second film will be a prequel.
Tony Jaa is no longer attached to the project either. He may still be busy with Fast & Furious 7. But we all know how that is coming along now, don't we? There may still be an indication in translated reports that there are still Thai roles to be filled for the production. We'll keep our eyes and ears peeled.
SPL: Sha Po Lang was one of those films that reaffirmed that Hong Kong still had game when it came to action cinema. Fans of the Golden Age had almost lost hope that it had come and gone and there was no one left to pick up the pieces of broken glass. Yen and Yip brought new life and energy to the screen with this film and others like Flashpoint and the first two Ip Man films. Let's hope their influence is still felt and Cheang and company bring us another kick-ass chapter to the story.